


Second Chances

by AriaDream



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel)
Genre: Bad end, F/M, Gore, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-10-24 13:23:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10742553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AriaDream/pseuds/AriaDream
Summary: Shirou and his Servant come to a bad end. But there is a second chance, after a fashion. Can they make the most of it? And what will happen when the next Grail War comes around?  Karna/Arjuna, female Karna





	1. Chapter 1

Author’s note: I wrote this because I’m a bad person and I’m going to hell. Also, I was watching the visual novel bad ends on Youtube.

 

Karna is very poorly matched to his Master. He knows that immediately.

Emiya Shirou does not have the mana to support him. His circuits strain to supply him even at the most basic level. Karna will have to remove his golden armor to use, not just spear, but any significant attack. The armor uses too much power, energy his Master does not have to spare.

Karna bears this weakness with grace, accepting it as he does everything. Shirou does not accept it so gracefully and Karna tries to help but of course that goes wrong.

_Master, you should end our contract and exit the Grail War._

_Shut up! We’ll make it work!_

Karna also tried to explain to Shirou how attempting to live for a dead man’s ideals would only hurt him. He tried to explain that ‘hero of justice’ was an unattainable goal and would lead the boy to break his own heart on the rock of futility. Oh course, instead of being compassionate as intended Shirou interpreted it as critical. Karna wished he knew how to give his wisdom in a manner that encouraged others to heed it. What good was Discernment of the Poor if no one would listen to his insights?

Well, it did Karna himself plenty of good so as soon as he saw the small magus and heard her call Shirou Onii-san, he changed his mind.

_I apologize Master. If you had taken my advice and attempted to exit the Grail War, disaster would have followed._

_Huh? What do you mean?_

_That child, Ilya, who called you brother. She sees you as the favored child, the one her father abandoned her for, and she hates you to the point of insanity. Without a Servant to protect you she will end your life, or worse. We can only continue._

_Is that why your brother hated you?_

That question almost makes Karna laugh because if anything, that is why he should hate Arjuna. Arjuna had everything, a mother and a father and a place. Karna had nothing at all, struggling even to find food at times. If he tried, he could remember years of hardship. He could remember the hot sun beating down, paining everyone else but warming him as he searched for snails by the riverbed. Why would Arjuna envy such an existence?

He does not. Arjuna hates Karna because he has eyes that see, and can find the fatal flaws in the ‘perfect’ hero. Because no one is perfect yet to Arjuna, perfection is all important. That is why he symbolizes rejection, as Karna does acceptance. Because perfection cannot abide flaws and everyone, everyone is flawed. Even Arjuna.

When Ilya reveals that her masked and cloaked Servant is actually Arjuna, Karna is not surprised. It makes sense. The two siblings will fight, just as these two siblings will fight. What does alarm him is the way Arjuna smiles, slowly widening into a grin. That is not Arjuna’s smile and it stinks of madness.

_I see. As Berserker, the darkness hidden in your nature is fully on display._

_Yes. Isn’t it glorious?_

_No._

Perhaps the most important difference between sane Arjuna and insane Arjuna, though, is that he no longer cares about perfection. His white clothing is stained and torn, as if he ran through the mud with it and he simply does not care. Karna finds that unnerving. It seems wrong to him, on a fundamental level and he is sure all of the Pandu brothers would feel the same.

Unfortunately the battle is entirely unequal. At first Karna has some hope in the form of his ally. Archer is with them, ordered by Tohsaka to accompany them. But she did not enforce her orders with a command seal and Karna and Shirou are both taken by surprise when Archer betrays them.

_Why?_

_Can’t you see, with your all-seeing eyes?_

_I see that you hate yourself and regret your choices but I still don’t understand._

_Then you never will._

At that point, their fate is sealed. Karna and Shirou both fight valiantly but are quickly overcome. But, to Karna’s dread, they are not killed. Instead, he is pinned to the ground with several arrows that had deliberately missed his mana core. Shirou… is worse off. He should be bleeding to death from two severed legs but instead, he is still alive. Karna can sense his panic as white fingers wind through orange curls.

_I’ve been waiting for this for ten years. It wouldn’t be any fun if Onii-san died too soon, so I’ll give you a hand. Will you give your Onii-san a hand, Arjuna?_

_Of course._ Arjuna’s fingers go through his hair and lift him up. The arrows are too deeply embedded in the ground to move and instead, they tear further through his lacerated flesh. Karna does not scream but he cannot hold back a gasp. _That’s a good sound. Make that sound again, Aniki._

Karna does not make that sound again. Instead, he musters every shred of energy he has left and devotes it to one thing. He yanks out of Arjuna’s grip, tearing away hanks of hair, before flying at Shirou with his lance outstretched. Karna does not mean to kill Ilya. She could stop him and then they would be lost. Instead he aims at Shirou –

And more arrows tear through him just as a bird of blue magery impacts his lance, throwing it to the side. Then Berserker’s blade hits him. It is only the flat but Karna can feel bones break as he’s tossed away.

_BERSERKER! BAKA! If he’d managed to kill Onii-san I would have made you take his place!_

_My apologies, Master. I forgot how determined my Onii-san can be. It will not happen again._

_Make sure it doesn’t! Aw, Shirou-nii-san, did you see that? Your Servant tried to kill you! That was smart of him wasn’t it? But don’t worry, we won’t let that happen and soon you’ll both be so pretty!_

The lance dissipates and Karna knows he has nothing left. Arjuna still handles him carefully, mindful of Ilya’s threat. Archer just leaves and Karna wonders, vaguely, what he will tell Rin. Also, what his future plans with Ilya are. But he will never know. Karna’s story has come to an end, except for a painful epilogue.

They are both brought to the Einzbern castle and as Karna predicted, what follows is excruciating. They are kept together, so they can see each other suffering. The tortures gradually meld together but Karna notes that Arjuna particularly likes to gouge out his eyes. He regenerates them every time, so he can do it again. Ilya likes to play with Shirou’s intestines. She says the noises he makes are particularly amusing. The only tortures they are spared are sexual ones.

_Do you think I should do that to my Onii-san, Arjuna? I could because we still have those parts but it’s awfully gross._

_You can if you like but I’m not going to. Karna does not interest me in that fashion. Perhaps you should just remove them?_

_Oh, that’s a great idea! I’ll do that! It’s not like Onii-san needs them anymore, right Onii-san?_

_I might do the same._

Well, perhaps not spared, but simple mutilation is still easier for Karna to cope with. His nature is acceptance and he manages to accept what is being done to him, despite the strain. Shirou has no such capacity and Karna can sense his Master slipping into madness. Yet every time he thinks that Shirou will truly lose his mind, something seems to jerk him back. It is not Ilya and Karna is horrified when he realizes it is the Master-Servant bond. His own inability to find insanity is preventing Shirou from falling into it as well. When Arjuna lets him speak, he apologizes for that, as well as everything else.

_I am sorry I was not a better Servant. I am sorry I could not stop this. I am sorry I cannot stop the bond between us._

_It’s… oh… kh… M… s’ry… too…_

Shirou had more trouble talking than Karna because one of his lungs was gone, completely, ruined in their capture. His mortal body could not be regenerated like a Servant so he could not truly draw breath, making speech difficult. Karna reflected how odd it was that they were learning to accept their new limitations.

Of course, they were not being tortured constantly. Arjuna and Ilya had a Grail War to win. That was hardly a reprieve, however. Karna was not human so tying him in a pose that would give a mortal no relief did not have much effect. Combining that with hooks, embedded in his flesh, was highly effective. Any movement he made was painful and no one could truly remain absolutely still, not even a Heroic Spirit. Shirou was simpler… Ilya just left him with knives embedded in his half-dead flesh, constantly feeling the pain.

Then one day the two of them came back and they both seemed perturbed.

_I don’t want to give him up._ Arjuna sounded petulant. It was almost as jarring as his dirtied clothes.

_It won’t be forever and I can’t maintain them like this anymore. I’m not debating this. Get your Onii-san and follow me._ Arjuna snorted but Karna was being released, somewhat. The hooks were yanked roughly out of his flesh, causing more pain. His wrists were not unbound and he was tossed roughly over Arjuna’s shoulder, being carried – where? Ilya’s maids handled Shirou. Karna vaguely noticed the gunk that stained their clothes. It wasn’t blood, exactly, but Shirou wasn’t really alive anymore…

They were carried downstairs, deep into the dungeons. Karna was dumped unceremoniously on a cold stone floor. He tried to look up but Arjuna put a foot firmly on the back of his head, keeping his face pushed into the floor. Karna was just mustering up the strength to do… something completely futile, most likely… when magic washed over him and froze him in place.

Then, like a TV switched off, his awareness went out.

* * *

 

Karna woke up to more pain.

This time, though, it was from intense heat and a sensation of drowning. Opening his eyes he saw liquid bubbling in front of him. Fortunately it wasn’t boiling or he would certainly be dead but he was in grave danger. Was he inside some kind of tube?

Karna couldn’t have freed himself from the tube but he didn’t need to. Part of the ceiling collapsed and he was lucky. Instead of simply crushing him it caved in the tube, crumpling it down and spitting him out like the seed from a mango. Gasping, Karna pushed himself up with shaking hands. Long white hair, longer than he was used to, flowed around him.

_Get out right now!_ Karna immediately pulled himself to his feet, obeying. There was fire in front of him but behind was still clear.

“Yes Master,” Karna said, knowing that voice was Shirou. Then he stopped. “Wait, your body – “ Where was it?

_I’m inside you, we have to keep moving!_ Oh. How interesting. Karna found the stairs and pelted up them into a scene of mayhem. To Karna’s sad satisfaction, he could recognize a few fading remnants of Arjuna. And that pathetic little corpse lacking a heart was Ilya. It seemed eminently suitable, given that she’d never really had a heart. Karna blinked as he realized that thought wasn’t like him. What had Ilya done to them?

The way out through the main doors was blocked by debris and flames but there were plenty of windows. A bit of broken masonry took care of one and then Karna was hauling himself out. As he did, he absently noted that he was quite naked. Also, distressingly, his body was female. He hadn’t noticed at first because his breasts were almost non-existent. Karna dropped safely to the ground and ran away from the still burning building. Although, where was he going? He needed some clothes –

“Hm? What are you?” A strange man with golden hair and red eyes accosted him, examining him with vague curiosity. Karna hesitated for a moment.

“I don’t know,” he finally said, truthfully. He wasn’t a Heroic Spirit and he wasn’t a human. What was he? The stranger made a soft humming sound.

“An escapee from the laboratory. You are meaningless and I don’t want to risk dirtying my coat with your blood,” he said before turning away and Karna’s half-formed thought – that he could ask for something to cover his nakedness – was immediately abandoned. Instead he just watched the man go, wondering who he could be. Was he the one who’d killed Ilya and Arjuna? If so they owed him a debt, although Karna thought the other man would react with derision at the thought. With Discernment of the Poor, Karna could sense someone who was so removed from humanity that he scarcely belonged to it anymore.

Dismissing that man from his mind, Karna looked around. The road was the obvious direction to take. Putting his feet in motion, Karna ignored the bite of twigs and stones in his tender feet. Hopefully he could reach the Emiya household by nightfall. And hopefully, no one would see him on the way.

This was going to be a very long walk.

* * *

 

“Ouch,” Karna muttered as he carefully bandaged his feet. They were bleeding in numerous places. Such terribly tender feet, not roughly callused like his feet had been as a child.

He was in the Emiya household, which seemed completely empty. No Sakura, no Rin, nothing but an empty home. Not that Karna wanted to run into Rin. He could only hope Archer was dead. If not, meeting them would immediately put his life in danger.

Or perhaps not. After taking care of his feet – an urgent concern – Karna examined himself in the bedroom mirror. It was floor length, letting him take in everything.

“I am an Einzbern homunculus,” Karna said after a long moment of staring. “Although a rather odd one.” Some customization work had been done. His face and body were not typical of the breed. For a woman, he was very muscular and his breasts were extremely small. His face had a subtly masculine cast. After examining it for a time, Karna thought it vaguely resembled himself. It wasn’t a copy by any measure but a stranger, seeing his original self and this homunculus side by side, might think her a daughter. The eyes, though, were a typical ruby red. “…Hn.” Archer would not assume this was Karna.

_And Shirou,_ a thought reminded him and Karna nodded, eyes still locked on his reflection.

“Are you separate from me?” Karna asked and there was a brief silence.

_No._ Ah, he’d thought so. How deeply had they merged? Sighing, Karna looked through Shirou’s closet to find clothing. The underwear was… not right… but jeans and a t-shirt suited him.

He was painfully hungry so after finding some soft slippers to shuffle into Karna went to the kitchen. Moving without thought, he cracked some eggs in a bowl and began making tamagoyaki. It was fast and easy and his hands knew what to do.

Soon, four eggs had been folded into a neat log and Karna cut it to pieces before checking the rice cooker. There was rice inside, very fresh and warm and Karna pursed his lips at the sign that someone was living here. Wondering who it could be, he took a generous helping of rice before setting down to eat his fill.

The food was delicious and Karna ate every single bite down to the last grain of rice. Then he decided to take more rice out of the cooker. A second helping of rice, this time without eggs, finally satisfied him. Standing up, Karna grimaced at the weight of hair behind him. It was almost like a living thing, reminding him of a fish out of water.

Irritated by the weight of the hair, Karna went to the kitchen block and pulled out the shears. Grasping the hair, he pulled it to one side and then snipped it off in a quick motion. Looking at the mass of white hair in his hand – it had been past his buttocks? – Karna wondered what to do with it. Wasn’t human hair valuable?

Deciding to put it aside for later, he found a plastic bag and put the hank of hair inside for safe keeping. Then he sat down at the table to drink some tea. The tea though… as he sat, his hands around the mug, Karna happened to look into the surface and saw the reflection of his red eyes.

Grimacing, Karna bent over and pressed a hand against his forehead as images rose up in his mind like dirty mud. Ilya smiling like an angel. Ilya stroking his cheek. Ilya sweetly telling him that he was so brave to withstand such pain. Karna forced the flashbacks down, feeling like he was swallowing poison. Yet he had no choice. This poison could not be regurgitated.

“Ah, I should have known I was too calm,” Karna said to himself before taking a sip of the tea. It was good, warm and slightly bitter, just how tea should be. Resolutely finishing the tea, Karna decided to go rest.

He was very tired from his long walk home.


	2. Natalie

Karna woke the next morning to the sound of birdsong.

Pushing himself out of bed, he went to prepare breakfast. He was not so hungry, so something more elaborate this time. Hmm, a bit of herring? Yes. Miso soup. More tamagoyaki. Shredded daikon. Should he make enough for more than one? Karna hesitates before closing his eyes, attempting to presence sense. It works and he can detect a single human life in the home. Yes, he will make enough for two.

He was just putting the plates out when that person stumblesdinto the room, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“Archer, what are you – who are you?!?” Rin says and Karna tenses slightly at the mention of Archer. He gives her a limpid smile as he finishes putting out the food.

“I am Natalie von Einzbern,” Karna lies with ease. It’s not odd, even as fully himself he could deceive when the situation required it. Now it’s just easier. “I was one of Mistress Ilya’s maids. Emiya Shirou told me to come here, before he died.” Grief passed over Rin’s face. Then she reached up to rub her face.

“Stupid Emiya-kun, he would say something like that…” Rin took a seat and Karna brought out the food. Rin looked at the table for a moment before suddenly blinking and lifting her head. “Wait. Archer told me Emiya was killed by Berserker. How did you meet him?” No concern for Karna but he was only a Servant, after all. …Why did that thought taste sour? Shaking away the feeling, Karna gave Rin an answer.

“Archer lied to you. He betrayed Karna to Arjuna and Shirou to Ilya,” Karna said calmly, feeling a nasty pleasure welling up in the back of his mind. He suppressed it firmly while at the same time, acknowledging it as a reasonable reaction. Kicking down Archer’s house of cards should feel good. Rin’s eyes went wide as her mouth opened soundlessly. “Emiya Shirou has not technically been alive for some time, but he existed until a few days ago.” At least, that was Karna’s interpretation of the timeline.

“…I’m going to kill him,” Rin whispered and Karna wondered if he should leave the house for that confrontation. It promised to be explosive. No, he wanted to see it, even if it might place his life in danger. “How… did he die?”

“Ilya decided she could no longer afford to sustain him, particularly with his Servant,” Karna said, which was truthful as far as it went. Rin sniffed, rubbing her face with her hands. “Forgive me, but where is Archer?”

“He’s out scouting the church. There’s just two servants left,” Rin muttered and Karna nodded. “I want to break our contract. I still have a command seal, I can do it.”

“It is up to you. Shirou would not blame you for keeping him when you are this close to the goal,” Karna said, feeling a bit sorry for her. Ending her contract now would mean passing the win to someone else. “Who is the other Master and Servant?”

“Saber and his Master,” Rin said, a bit of disgust coloring her tone. Karna thought that was unwarranted and knew it stemmed from the fact that she had not been the one to summon the Saber-class Servant.

“Bazett and Cu Chulainn are worthy of the Grail. If you cede the victory to them by dismissing your Servant, no one will fault you for it,” Karna said and noticed that his own voice was gentler than usual. Hmm. Rin looked away, her shoulders tense. Karna frowned as something occurred to him. “…Was it Cu Chulainn who killed Ilya?” Somehow, he doubted it. Pulling a heart from her body did not seem like him. Rin blinked at him.

“I don’t know. Why?” Karna frowned as he thought. He was fairly sure the man with the golden hair had done it. Yet, that left more questions than answers.

“When I escaped the burning castle I met a man with golden hair. I believe he killed Ilya and Arjuna,” Karna said slowly. “He said that he did not want to dirty his coat with my blood, and let me go.” Karna poured the tea before settling in across from Rin. Then he began to eat, noticing Rin hadn’t touched the food. “Please, eat… I wonder who he could have been?” That was disturbing. A completely unknown element, this late in the Grail war, was not to be taken lightly. Rin sighed before picking up her chopsticks and beginning to eat.

“I don’t know what to do,” she mumbled around her food and Karna sympathized. It was very difficult and he could not help her make that decision.

Then the devil they were discussing arrived.

"Rin," Archer said and Karna gazed at him, an alien feeling welling up in the depths of his mind. It was not a feeling the Hero of Charity should have, not a feeling he could have. But it was a feeling Emiya Shirou most certainly would have, for this charlatan who pretended to be a knight. _So this is hate,_ Karna thought, rolling the feeling in his tongue. A feeling like molten iron, it begged to unleash destruction on the target. _I understand Arjuna so much better now._

“You bastard,” Rin stood smoothly, turning towards Archer and Karna smiled slightly at the surprise on Archer’s face, the sudden, quickly hidden apprehension. “How could you?” Archer’s eyes slid to them and widened slightly at the sight of the pale woman at the table. Then he gave Rin a nonchalant smile.

“How could I do what, Rin? You’ll have to be more specific,” Archer said calmly and Karna wondered if Rin’s temper could set her hair on fire. Instead of exploding, though, she spoke through gritted teeth.

“This is Natalie von Einzbern and she told me something very _interesting_ about what’s been happening at the Einzbern castle. You piece of _shit!_ ” Karna blinked, trying to remember the last time he’d heard Tohsaka swear like that. Nothing came to mind. “Why?! Why Archer?!?”

“He was a useless Master with an impossible Servant,” Archer said before his lips curled into a smile. “Getting them out of the way was the best strategic decision, Rin. And I serve my Master faithfully, after all.” If he’d been listening to only the words, Karna would have been outraged. In fact, he was outraged. But he was also watching Archer with Discernment of the Poor and what he saw partly diffused his anger.

_He hates himself even more now. He feels he made the correct decision but his self-loathing is almost palpable. What made him this way?_ Karna didn’t know. The greatest defense anyone could have against his insights was simply not to speak, and Archer was masterful at that. He knew nothing of the red knight’s history.

“What did Ilya give you for your betrayal?” Karna said, thinking aloud. “She must have given you something.” Useless or not, Shirou and Karna had been assets. Archer simply ignored the question, as was his habit and Rin was too worked up to care.

“I will never forgive you for this!” Rin’s anger was very pure and Karna could see, with deep sadness, that she had truly cared for Shirou. Ah, children, taking their first steps in the world of romance. The thought made his chest tighten with an unfamiliar emotion. “I should end our contract!”

“Oh really? The thing you have spent ten years of your life for, you would end just as victory is within your grasp? I thought better of you Rin. Are you not a magus?” Archer’s tone was even and cold. To Karna, though, Archer was mocking the ideals of a magus. He did not believe in such things at all.

“I might be a magus but I’m still a human being,” Rin retorted, still utterly furious. Archer just seemed amused. Didn’t he care?

_Perhaps he doesn’t. His independent action is strong and the Grail War is nearly over. Ilya gave him something for his betrayal, but what?_ Karna thought as he began gently activating his mage circuits. Hmm, this was interesting, he could tell they were Shirou’s mage circuits but they appeared to have been optimized. They were still very weak mage circuits, only granting a small amount of mana each, but activating them was smooth and painless. Karna had the feeling they would be able to work at maximum output for long periods of time. Shirou had always struggled with that, his circuits popping and fizzling as he tried to maintain his output.

Then someone banged on the door, hard enough that Karna wondered if it would break.

“Stop damaging the door!” Karna called and the pounding stopped. Rin and Archer both gave him an odd look and Karna vaguely wondered what he had sounded like. Moving to the door, he opened it to see – “Oh, you.” It would be Cu Chulainn. Beside him was Bazett, bright eyed, bushy tailed and ready to cause mayhem.

“Oh, me?” Red eyes travelled down Karna’s body and not to his surprise, Cu Chulainn immediately made the proper gender identification. “Hello little lady.” Karna sighed, feeling a combination of resignation and disgust. He did not appreciate that. “You’re an interesting one even if you’ve got no tits – OW!” A bit of reinforcement of his leg and Karna kicked Cu Chulainn in the shin, hard enough to hurt even Heracles. “Sonofabitch!” Cu was hopping on one leg and Bazett was stifling a laugh.

“You completely asked for that. May we come in?” she asked calmly and Karna glanced behind him. “We mean no harm, for the moment at least.”

“Mmm… very well.” If they wanted to force their way in he couldn’t stop them. Karna stepped aside, noticing that Cu Chulainn was limping. His homunculus body, combined with reinforcement, could pack a powerful punch.

Heartened by that – he was not helpless – Karna followed them as they entered the kitchen. Archer had already turned to meet the threat but Rin was paying no attention, glaring daggers at her Servant.

“Tohsaka! It seems we are the final Masters in this Grail War. I came to arrange a time for our final battle,” Bazett said cheerfully and Karna had no doubt she meant it. Although an open battlefield would favor Saber so Rin would be prudent to refuse.

“No, I’m not going to fight you like that,” Rin spat and Karna nodded to himself. “I’m not going to fight you at all.” Rin took a deep breath before raising her hand. “Archer, I abjure you!” Karna’s eyes widened as Archer suddenly turned, shock on his face. _He didn’t think she would do it._ Archer hadn’t thought Rin would throw away ten years of her life for a boy she scarcely knew. “Our contract is now dissolved! By the power of my Command Seal, you are mine no longer!”

“Wha….?!?” Cu Chulainn’s exclamation and Bazett’s breathy gasp were heard as the seal glowed red, then faded away, taking any sign of the markings with it. There was not even a bruise. Archer stumbled back, suddenly cut off from his mana supply. Then he steadied, thanks to his Independent Action.

“That was foolish Rin. You have just given them the Grail… not that it matters.” Archer’s lips curl in a smile that is not really a smile. “I will do what I must do.” Karna was probably the only one to hear the anguish in that. Then Archer vanished, dematerializing and leaving. _What did Ilya give him?_ What had been so important that he’d thrown away his allies and his Master’s goodwill?

“I… what just happened?” Bazett was stunned and Cu Chulainn was similarly lost. Rin turned away from them, quietly sniffing and Karna took it on himself to explain.

“I am Natalie von Einzbern. I advised Rin of Archer’s betrayal of Shirou and Karna to Ilya and Arjuna. He did not deny it,” Karna said. It was a point to Archer’s credit, albeit an exceedingly small one. “I will not go into details but Shirou and Karna’s existence only truly ended a few days ago.”

“Oh,” Bazett sounded sick but Cu Chulainn was a touch more callous.

“Oh yeah? That sucks, he was an alright kid. But doesn’t that mean we’ve won?” he said and Karna considered kicking him again as Rin bit her lower lip. Instead, he favored the blue Saber with a sharp stare.

“Perhaps. You still must slay Archer to take your prize and if I were you I would assume he is extremely dangerous in unexpected ways. Ilya gave him something for his cooperation,” Karna said drily and Bazett frowned at him. “And you did not kill Arjuna and Ilya, correct?”

“No. The priest said they were dead, we thought you killed them?” Bazett said to Rin but she shook her head. “Then who did?”

“A man with golden hair and red eyes…” Karna quickly told his brief story before including his impression. “I believe he truly only killed me because he didn’t want blood on his coat.” That statement had rung of truth to him. “I would not count the Grail yours until it rests firmly in your hands.”

“Thank you, that’s good advice,” Bazett said with a thin smile and Karna blinked. He’d rarely been thanked for his insights. “So we still have some obstacles. But you’re out of the Grail war?” she asked Rin who hesitated for just a moment before nodding very firmly. “There’s nothing more for us here then. Come, Saber.”

“Huh, well, if I get my wish I’ll be back for you pretty lady,” Cu Chulainn said to Karna with a wicked grin and he blinked, wondering what the Hound of Ulster saw in him. Well… aside from very dramatic coloring. And perhaps he was attractive in a thin, muscular way.

“Oh, come on – !” Cu Chulainn yelped as Bazett grabbed his ponytail and pulled him out the door after her. Karna watched them go, wondering how well they would do against Archer. Technically, Saber was a stronger class but that might not be worth much.

Shaking his head, Karna turned to Rin. She was composed but pale, gazing away. Karna hesitated for a moment.

“I will clean the kitchen,” he offered and Rin nodded. Karna went to the kitchen and began putting away the food. Not too much had been eaten and Karna shook his head, putting it into containers before putting it in the fridge. He could have it for lunch. As he handled the homely tasks, Karna wondered what he would do now. Would he go back to school? It would be good to finish, but he would need false documents. How could that be arranged?

Karna rubbed his forehead, feeling a hint of pain there. He really wasn’t ready to think of any of this. He would stay at the Emiya house until the Grail War was over and see what the outcome was.

Nothing mattered until the Grail War was resolved.

* * *

 

In the end, Archer was a hero.

The full story came out, related by an exhausted and battered Bazett. The golden man had been Gilgamesh. He’d taken Ilya’s heart because it was the vessel for the Grail and he intended to release the darkness inside. Working together, Archer, Cu Chulainn and Bazett had managed to defeat him and Kotomine.

Archer had betrayed them to Ilya to secure a special weapon, the Hand of Divinity. To the Einzberns it was a piece of junk, a relic of an older time. But to Archer, it was priceless, and he’d needed more than the artifact itself. He’d needed permission from Ilya to use it. Only with formal permission given could Archer unlock the true power inside it.

And that relic was absolutely necessary because the Grail was corrupt. Cu Chulainn was a marvelous Saber, but he was not in Ireland and his legend was a bit more limited than others. He had nothing that could destroy the Grail. The Hand of Divinity had done it but at the cost of Archer’s remaining mana, ending his life. As he’d rather sardonically stated before he disappeared, it was a worthless existence anyway and not worth mourning. Cu Chulainn replied that he still didn’t understand Archer at all before he began to vanish as well. Bazett had time to say goodbye to him and then it was done.

“I don’t know how to feel now,” Rin said as they all sat at the kitchen table and had some tea. Karna looked into his tea before taking a sip of the light green fluid. Grassy and bitter. “I thought I hated him but I can’t anymore.” Karna nodded, feeling a great sadness.

“It is hard to see what else he could have done,” Karna said after a moment. Dealing with Ilya had been a devil’s bargain but what choice had Archer had? He’d known about the corruption from the beginning, that was clear from the sequence of events. And while Karna had possessed an ability that could have destroyed the Grail, it had needed more mana than Shirou could supply. “Shirou will not mind if you forgive him,” Karna said gently, reaching out to touch Rin’s wrist. “If he had been asked if he would offer his pain to save the world, he would have said yes.” _I would have said yes._

“He was an idiot,” Rin muttered, looking at her tea. Bazett, though, was giving him an odd look.

“Who are you?” she said and Karna blinked. “You’re not just an Einzbern clone. I’ve met plenty of them and they’re a lot of faceless drones, except the ‘special’ ones. You said you were a maid.” Rin lifted her head with a frown and looked at him. “Who are you?” …Ah. Well, he did have to tell them and it was time.

“I am what remains of Heroic Spirit Karna and Emiya Shirou,” he said it as gently as he could but saw Rin’s eyes go wide, her expression becoming stricken. “Melted into the body of Natalie von Einzbern, an unactivated Einzbern homunculus.” That was something he’d realized after a bit more examination. Natalie wasn’t just a name pulled out of the air, it was programmed into his body. That body had possessed a mind and soul but they had been completely blank, easily overwritten by Karna and Shirou. That homunculus soul, though, was the reason Shirou’s mage circuits had become optimized. Natalie’s self-repair mechanisms had recognized Shirou’s circuits as damaged and repaired them as best they could.

“Shirou? Are you really in there?” Rin sounded hopeful and Karna regretfully shook his head.

“We are fully merged. I believe I am mostly Karna although there are aspects of me that definitely come from Shirou,” Karna said honestly. Although in some ways, it would be hard to tell what had come from whom. Shirou had been very charitable, constantly helping others. In that sense he had been an excellent master for the Hero of Charity.

“I should have seen it. You look like a female Karna,” Rin said and Karna winced a little. He did, didn’t he. “I didn’t think of it because that’s the coloring an Einzbern should have.” That was true. “What are you going to do now?”

“I… well…” Karna turned his attention to Bazett. “Could you help me? I want to finish my schooling and perhaps even learn more magecraft.” That was feasible now, with his reasonable mage circuits. Karna wouldn’t be much of a magus, not really, but having a steady output made a tremendous difference. “But I have no documentation, nothing. Is there anything…?” If not, Karna wasn’t sure what he’d do. Resign himself to a life taking jobs beneath the table, he supposed. Bazett thought about it for a moment before smiling.

“Yeah, sure.” …Sure? “I can’t wait to stuff this up the noses of those stupid Einzbern homunculi. Think they’re so good! You’ll be a perfect witness to what went down around here.” …Ah, that was true. Karna bit his lip, wondering what he was getting into. “So help me out and I’ll help you out. Got a deal?”

“I have no choice,” Karna said fatalistically, hoping this wouldn’t get him in more trouble. Well, he would have to take it as it came. At least Bazett was a member of the Magus Association. No doubt she had allies she could call on. “I accept.” They shook on it and the deal was done.

Hopefully it would work out in the end.


	3. Lessons on Generosity

The next few months were tedious at best.

They were all called to the Clock Tower and had to give their renditions of events. It did not go badly, however. Bazett had allies – the reason she was chosen to represent the Association in the first place – and no one was that fond of the Einzberns. Yet, they also weren't happy that the Grail had been destroyed and liked even less Bazett's insistence that it be dismantled entirely.

That, alas, did not happen. Instead the Association hatched a place to keep the structure of the Grail but separate it and drain all power from it, cleansing the impurity before reconnecting it. Karna was vague on the details. Bazett and Rin both seemed dubious. Apparently, it could work but it was a herculean task. Karna only hoped they'd get it right.

As for himself, false documents were arranged for him. He was given the name Emiya Karna and was now known as Emiya Shirou's long lost sister. It was bizarre but allowed Karna to keep the home, which was important. The Tohsaka manor had been destroyed in the fighting so Rin would continue living with him until she graduated. Oddly enough, the Einzberns also gave him a settlement. The homunculus who told Karna advised him that it was an apology for Ilya's actions and the money had already been put into his bank account. Karna could only accept it, although he did not trust it. Then she offered him something else, to his great surprise.

_This was found in the ruins of the castle. We thought you might want to keep it,_ she said with a sweet smile and Karna's breath had caught at the sight of the gold sun in her hand. He took the earring, feeling stunned. How had the relic remained? It had not been part of his summoning, it should have vanished with his body. Karna had thanked her in a daze before clipping it to his ear. It was heavy but it was a comforting, familiar weight.

The only other thing of interest to happen in the Clock Tower was a full examination of himself. As Karna had expected, they found that his mage circuits were optimized. However, he hadn't realized the extent of it. Putting a monitor on him they'd requested that he keep his mage circuits at full power as long as he could. It had been odd, just generating mana and bleeding it off, but Karna had done it. And done it. And done it. Like the energizer bunny, he'd never tired. He'd only stopped when he fell asleep, which had signalled his mage circuits to automatically shut off.

That was impressive and made him a workhorse of mana, but what was equally interesting was his Origin. Instead of Sword, it was now Lance. Karna could trace swords but they required more effort. Lances were much easier and he smiled to himself as he held his own lance in his hands. Regretfully, though, the divine weapon required too much mana for easy use. Instead he was allowed to examine and trace a much weaker weapon, a naginata once owned by a very minor hero. It had some wind powers that Karna quickly learned to harness.

Before they left, Karna was given an invitation to return to the Clock Tower when his studies in Japan were done. He accepted it graciously, advising them it would be several years but he would definitely consider it. Karna wasn't sure he would take it, however. He would be a weak magus at best.

When he said that to Rin, though, she had a slightly different take on the situation.

"Actually, the way you can constantly put out mana makes you valuable." Karna blinked at her questioningly and she elaborated. "For a magus doing research you would be like a mana jewel, one that never breaks. You would make an incredible assistant."

"…Ah." That did make some sense. "I do not know. I will have to think about it," Karna finally said. Did he want to be a living mana supply? Well, if he was respected and allowed to contribute it would not be bad. "I need to find some way to store my mana." If he could discover something like the Tohsaka gem magic for himself, Karna thought he could accomplish some truly interesting things.

"You don't mind me staying with you, do you?" Rin asked and Karna gave her a small smile.

"Of course not. I am glad to have the company," he said, feeling a touch wistful as Rin smiled. She had a beautiful smile and the part of him that was Shirou felt a tug. Regretfully, Karna shook the attraction away. They were no longer the same person and the body they had was a gross impediment.

When they got back to Japan, they settled into the Emiya home and went back to school. Karna immediately took up where Shirou left off, handling odd jobs around the school. It was difficult because no one really accepted him. He was too strange looking, yet also a bizarre echo of Shirou. One day, Issei flat out told Karna that he could not replace Shirou. Karna had just accepted the reprimand, swallowing the soul deep hurt. He did wonder what Issei would have thought if he'd realized he was speaking to what was left of his best friend.

In the first year, Karna began developing a sense of style. It was partly driven by necessity. His dramatic coloring and muscular build convinced many young women he was a man. Karna was approached far too many times by girls who were emphatically not lesbian and disgusted when advised of his gender. Karna also found that he was no longer attracted to the female sex. An odd side-effect of being placed in a female body? Most likely.

So to send the proper signals, Karna began experimenting with makeup and buying dresses. In particular, he bought many sari's, finding the styling comfortable. Then he followed by buying enough costume jewelry to sink a ship. That was even more comfortable, recalling all the gold chains he'd worn as a Heroic Spirit. That made him exotic but sadly, Karna attracted very little male attention. Putting it aside, he concentrated on his studies. There was no time for romance anyway.

Karna graduated from school with top marks and could have pursued a scholarship. He could also have gone to the Clock Tower. Instead, though, he decided to pursue a homelier dream. The money the Einzberns had gifted him with was enough to purchase a small business with a cushion for safety. So Karna decided to set up a curry shop, which Fuyuki was sadly lacking.

The first year gave him many hard lessons on business ownership and the hardest to swallow was drilled home by one of his employees, a grandmotherly woman named Sachiko.

"Karna, you are generous to a fault," she said with a smile. "If you are not careful, it will lose you your business." That caught Karna off guard.

"I, what?" Karna said, truly focusing on her. Sachiko kept stirring a pot of curry as she spoke and Karna managed to continue his own task, which was loading the dishwasher.

"Too many free meals to the poor. Karna, this is not your food to give away," Sachiko said chidingly and Karna stared at her. What did she mean? "It belongs to the business and the business cannot afford your generosity." …What?

"But I own the restaurant," Karna said after a moment and Sachiko shook her head.

"That is how businesses go bankrupt. The business is itself, its own entity and money is how it survives. The rent and salaries must be paid with some left over for you. If it is enough, then you can give away meals from your own pocket. But you must not squander the businesses' resources," her tone was mildly scolding but then turned benign. "I am telling you this because I like you and I want this restaurant to succeed."

"I… see." Karna said slowly. He could tell, with his Discernment of the Poor, that she meant every word. Yet, was she right? "I am generous to my employees as well," he said, wanting to see what she would say. Sachiko frowned slightly, her attention still on the curry.

"Yes, and that is not bad. That is part of how you earn loyalty. But even there, remember that some will always take advantage of your generosity," she said and Karna flinched slightly as memories of the past abruptly came over him.

"Yes, I know," he muttered, remembering the many times his charity had been used against him. Two of the instances, together, had led to Karna's death at Arjuna's hands. "Ah." Karna shook his head, pushing away the memories like a bothersome fly. "Perhaps instead of giving free meals to the poor, I should volunteer my time at the community kitchen." Karna said aloud. Time was a precious commodity, after all. Sachiko was pleased.

"Yes, they need help all hours of the day. You could help them with breakfasts," she encouraged him and Karna nodded. Although if he was going to devote himself to that, he thought he would give one of his evenings too. Karna's curry shop was closed Mondays and Tuesdays, which were the slowest days for any restaurant. One of those evenings, he could devote to charity.

That was what Karna did. Instead of giving free meals to anyone who asked, he began devoting time and some money to the community kitchen. He also learned to keep the business finances strictly separate from his own, so he could adequately assess the health of the business. Managing people was harder – Karna had never been particularly good at it – but Shirou's skill with people came in handy. By the end of the year the business was already turning a small profit, even with Karna's wages taken out.

That was good because the second year was when the Emiya residence had a massive leak and it was discovered that the roof was almost twenty years old. Paying to have it replaced almost wiped out the last of Karna's savings. Realizing that charity started at home, he began squirreling away as much money as he could. When the Grail War began again, he would need it.

The third year, Rin came home unexpectedly.

"Rin!" Karna was surprised but beyond pleased to see her at the door, suitcase in hand. It was winter and her cheeks were adorably reddened from the cold, a black scarf twined around her neck. "Please, come in!" It was Monday, the one day Karna allotted entirely to himself. They could spend all evening together. "You did not tell me you were coming," Karna said, a touch bemused, as he let Rin in. She dimpled at him as she began unwinding her scarf.

"I wanted it to be a surprise! …And this is a surprise too," Rin said as she glanced around, wide-eyed. Karna almost blushed.

"I've redecorated," he admitted, knowing it was an understatement. The interior of the Emiya house, despite still showing all the signs of traditional Japanese architecture, was now decorated more like an Indian palace. Karna favored a warm color palette, red, orange and brown with a few odd splashes of royal purple to liven things. "My pillow collection is becoming excessive." He liked them though. And so did the cats, of which he owned two. One of them prowled into the room, gave Rin a look of feline disdain and promptly left, her tail held high.

"I… see that… what is this?" Rin kicked off her boots before venturing towards the living room table. There was a rather elaborate bronze statuette on the table.

"My father, Surya. I found it in a second-hand store," Karna said, feeling a bit of heat on his cheeks. The bronze was a bit gaudy. In fact, everything was a bit gaudy, if he was being honest. Was it wrong that he loved tassels with glitter? "Please, make yourself at home. I'll make some tea!" Karna hurried to the kitchen to make tea. The kitchen had been redecorated a bit as well, mostly with symbols of the sun. Karna felt rather self-conscious. He loved the sun though, just as he loved his true father. Finding a statue of him in a second-hand store in Japan had seemed like fate.

Karna began preparing the tea, finding it was calming. Soon he had the tea tray ready – it was the same set he'd always used, simple and unadorned – and he set it on a black and gold, lacquered tray. A little basket of shortbread biscuits and he brought it out to Rin. She was teasing one of his cats with a tassel when he came in, which made Karna smile.

"Tea," Karna said, placing the tea set down on the table. Then he sat down across from Rin on one of the cushions, this one dark purple with gold and purple tassels. Rin smiled at him but it was a touch pensive before she took her tea. "Forgive me, I love having you, but to what do I owe the visit?" It was a long trip from London. Rin looked into her tea before taking a sip.

"I would like to spend a week in Fuyuki, if you don't mind?" Karna shook his head with a smile and Rin smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I… didn't want to call because some of it is a bit sensitive." Oh? "The Holy Grail war is being resumed." …Ergh. "The Einzberns are sure they've purged the corruption and they've instituted new rules… once a Servant is eliminated, a Master is stricken directly from the contest." Karna blinked as Rin smiled, a touch sadly. "They're trying to stop needless casualties. Masters are expected to retire if the Servant dies."

"Servants like Caster and Assassin will still need to strike at Masters if they hope to win," Karna observed and Rin nodded, darkness in her eyes. "But it is something." At least a few more Masters might survive the War. "So former Masters can't try to steal Servants." That had previously been an acceptable tactic to re-enter the War. Rin nodded. "When will the next one be staged? And will you be participating?"

"I'm not sure yet. It depends on something…" Rin shook her head before smiling slightly. "And not for another three years. They're still reconnecting it to the ley lines in Fuyuki. Will you be participating?" The question startled Karna for a moment.

"I…" Karna paused to think about it. There was really only one answer. "If I am called, I will answer." Karna said firmly. "Not because I have a wish, but to ensure the Grail is not a threat." Karna stretched out a hand and concentrated hard, activating all his circuits to maximum output. For just a moment, his divine lance appeared. Then he had to release it, exhausted just from that. "If necessary I will find a way to end the Grail myself," he said calmly and Rin scowled at him.

"Don't be a self-sacrificing fool!" She snapped and Karna blinked, taken aback. "Using that would blow every circuit in your body. You couldn't possibly survive."

"Archer sacrificed himself for the same. Can I do any less?" Karna asked and saw Rin bite her lip sharply, her eyes watering. "Rin?" This was more than concern for him. "What is wrong?" Something was wrong and Karna wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the Grail War. Rin's shoulders hunched.

"You're the only one I think I can talk to about this," Rin said, her voice small as she gazed into her tea. "I've had a proposal of marriage." Karna blinked. That was not really surprising. As the last scion of the Tohsaka lineage, with beautifully formed and functioning mage circuits, Rin was a marvelous potential spouse. A younger son could have children bearing a Mage Crest. Or if Rin married another Mage Crest holder, their child could have a double inheritance. That was rare but it could be done. However, most of the proposals Rin had received so far had been laughable, from men both arrogant and unattractive, who thought she could be bought. Rin had dismissed them with utter contempt. Her current manner…

"This is a serious proposal?" Karna asked and Rin hesitated before nodding. "Who is he?"

"Barthomeloi Andowyn. He's a bit older than me but not by much," Rin said and Karna could sense she was terribly torn. "The Barthomeloi are such a powerful lineage and many of them are arrogant but he's not. He's actually a cousin, not in the main line…" That would make a difference. "He's, he's handsome and kind. We've been working closely together as lab assistants and going out for coffee. I knew he was interested but it still caught me off guard," Rin said, chewing her lower lip so hard that Karna was afraid she might hurt herself. He reached out to gently catch her hands.

"Rin, please be calm," Karna said gently and saw some of the tension go out of her. "You're considering it?" Rin nodded, her eyes dropping to her tea again.

"It would be a wonderful match. I could be happy with him," Rin said softly and Karna could not help but feel that that was wrong.

"But you do not love him," Karna stated and Rin winced.

"I think I could though. I think I could. It's just…" Rin said and Karna stared at her patiently. "…I love someone else. Someone who is lost but maybe I can find him again." What?

"Archer," Karna suddenly realized who she was referring to. "Ah, Rin." This was worse than being in love with a ghost because with a new Grail War on the horizon, Archer could be summoned again. Rin had the correct catalyst. "He might not remember," Karna said gently and Rin shook her head.

"If he can't remember me I'll kick him in the head until he does," she said firmly and Karna had to stifle a chuckle. Ah, he could picture that! "And if I can win a wish I can keep him with me forever." Ah, that was a viable plan. No wonder Rin was so torn. "But I don't know… he's… not a good match. He can't give me children," Rin muttered, her cheeks coloring. Karna nodded sympathetically. For a magus, that was never a minor concern. Although.

"This is the modern era, Rin. It might be troublesome to find a donor, but surely artificial conception would be possible?" Rin's blush deepened and she glared at him. Karna smiled serenely. "Archer would be a good father." Rin glared a moment longer before shaking her head and taking a sip of her tea.

"But all of this depends on me summoning Archer and then winning the Grail War. It's such a long shot," Rin said gloomily. "And Andowyn is so nice. I… don't know what to do." Rin's shoulders slumped and Karna could sense how terribly torn she was. "I can't expect him to wait three years for an answer," she said softly and Karna nodded. That was ludicrous.

"Perhaps you should ask him to give you another year?" Karna suggested and Rin frowned. "You could spend more time courting, making certain this is the correct decision for you both." Karna paused for a moment before giving what was, to him, a painful piece of wisdom. "But if you do not love him I strongly suggest that you do not marry him. At the behest of my foster-father, I married a woman I never loved. I honored her, I treated her well, but I never loved her," Karna said softly, feeling a pang in his heart at the thought. "I still feel it was the worst decision of my life." Karna had loved his children with all his heart, but in every other way his marriage had been painfully cold.

"But didn't you have ten children with her?" Rin asked and Karna winced before giving her an understanding smile.

"Six at the most. Perhaps less," Karna said and Rin's confused look was amusing. Karna's smile warmed a touch. "The others were not mine although I loved them just the same."

"Oh!" Rin looked terribly embarrassed as she caught his meaning. Then she squared her shoulders, her expression taking on the firm Tohsaka look. "I don't want a marriage like that. I think I'll take your advice," Rin said decisively and Karna smiled. "We've only really been dating six months. Another year would be wise."

"Excellent. Now, what would you like for supper?" Karna asked. "I can make sushi or yakisoba chicken."

"Not a curry?" Rin teased and Karna sighed, finishing his tea and pouring himself another cup. Hmm, a shortbread biscuit would be good. He took one of those as well.

"I eat curry every day of the week. On my days off, I prefer to have something else," Karna said firmly and Rin laughed softly. She seemed far more cheerful now, which gladdened his heart. "Sushi?" He was in the mood for it and he was a decent amateur sushi chef.

"You know, I think I would. The sushi they make in London isn't very good, although you can get some excellent curries," Rin said with a smile and Karna nodded, drinking his tea and eating his biscuit. "I'm going to be busy all week so don't worry about me. I'm arranging to have my land sold," Rin said and Karna blinked. "I don't think I'll ever live here again so I should get rid of it. When I do come by, do you mind if I stay here?"

"Not at all," Karna said warmly. "You are always welcome." Rin was no longer a love interest to him, but she was still a good friend.

After finishing his tea, Karna went to prepare supper. As he made the sushi, he thought about the Grail War. If it happened again, who would he try to summon? Karna didn't have the money to search for a relic. Then a thought occurred to him and he blinked, reaching up to touch the solar earring hanging from his right ear. Could he do that?

_There's no reason I couldn't,_ Karna realized after a moment. _I am still inscribed in the Throne of Heroes._ Not as the degraded version he was now, but the true Karna. In fact, if he summoned himself again, there was no chance the Heroic Spirit would remember anything of the past Grail War. Because Karna's 'copy' had not returned to the Throne, his experiences had never been inscribed into it. Karna would still have some problems supporting himself with such a small mana pool, but the steadiness of it would help compensate.

His mind made up, Karna fully devoted his attention to the food, making a quick miso soup. That would go beautifully with the sushi. As he worked, he smiled to himself.

It would be nice to have company for a while.


	4. Arjuna

_Roughly six months later._

_I decided I couldn’t do it_ , Rin’s voice through the phone was tinny and crackling in places, a sign of the long connection. Karna listened sympathetically before using the back of his hand to muffle a yawn. Did Rin realize she had bounced him out of bed at six in the morning? Karna usually woke at seven. Fortunately he wasn’t going to the community kitchen today so he could just go back to bed. _Andowyn didn’t take it well._ Karna made a soft, encouraging sound as he grabbed a pillow, arranging it behind him. He was still in bed. It was the same bed Shirou had always used, just with more colorful pillows. _He swore he would win the Grail to prove he was worthy of my heart._

“…You tried to tell him why you could not accept his suit?” Karna asked and heard Rin sigh.

_Yes, but I don’t think he was listening._ That would be typical of a young man who truly believed he was in love. Karna sighed to himself. Not good. _The last thing I want is for him to get killed in some silly quest to impress me!_

“Or worse, we have to kill him. Although the new rules should help,” Karna said. They really would only need to defeat Andowyn’s Servant now. Well, two years from now. Hmm. “The Grail War is a long way off. Perhaps by then he will have moved on.” It was possible but Karna rather doubted it.

_I really hope so. I’m committed to summoning Archer though_ , Rin said and Karna smiled at the determination in her voice.

“I am going to try to summon Karna,” he said and Rin made a confused sound. “The Heroic Spirit is still inscribed in the Throne of Heaven and I have a good relic. It should be easy to deal with myself.”

_Are you sure? It might be harder,_ Rin said and Karna thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

“I don’t think so. And frankly, I can’t afford anything else.” His own earring was free and convenient. Anything else would be expensive and fraught with the possibility of fraud. God knew fake artifacts were big business.

_I can’t argue with that. My gem magic is so expensive!_ Karna nodded sympathetically. _At least the synthetics are working out well._

“Mmm, yes.” At first, lab created gems had been too fragile for mage-craft but as the technology became better, the gems closer to real, it had ceased to be an issue. “But I should let you go. I need to – mph,” Karna covered another yawn. “Go back to sleep.” He really did, tiredness was weighing heavily on him now.

_Oh no, the time difference! I completely forgot! Please tell me I haven’t woken you at 3 in the morning!_ Rin was suddenly panicking and Karna laughed.

“No, only six. But I do need a bit more. Please be safe Rin,” Karna said and making their goodbyes, they ended the conversation. Karna set down his cell phone beside the bed before curling up again and closing his eyes. Lulled by the sunlight shining into the room – Karna loved the sun – he soon slipped off into sleep.

* * *

 

_Two years later._

_Perfect,_ Karna thought as he gazed over the summoning circle. _Absolutely perfect._ Karna glanced at the back of his left hand, seeing the markings already beginning to form. The air was fraught with potential, power that was just waiting to be unleashed. Taking a deep breath, Karna unclipped his earring and carefully lay it in the summoning circle before taking his place.

In some ways, this was not ideal. Karna thought about it as he raised his hand and began to chant. He’d wanted Rin to go first, to secure her Archer-class Servant before Karna tried for his. Unfortunately, Karna was a very able bowman, only surpassed by Arjuna. He certainly qualified for the Archer class in addition to Lancer and Rider. Possibly even Saber, Karna wasn’t sure about that. However, Karna had no idea if the Archer they wanted to summon had an alternate class. If he didn’t and an Archer had already been summoned, well…

That was why Karna had not wanted to go first but fate had decided otherwise. His power had abruptly swelled tonight and Karna could feel all his mage circuits surpassing themselves, generating beautiful waves of mana. The Grail was demanding that he summon and summon he would, praying even as he did that it would not derail their plans.

 The summoning circle blazed with power and a mist spilled out, obfuscating his view. When it cleared, Karna took in the spirit he had summoned.

_The World is mocking me,_ was Karna’s first thought as his eyes widened. _How is this even possible?_ Was his second, stunned thought as the Servant spoke.

“Heroic Spirit Arjuna, summoned into the class of Lancer.” Lancer?! That… was possible, actually, Arjuna’s lance had been fearsome. “Are you my Master?” Calm, dark eyes met his and suddenly Karna was breathless with rage.

“I…” No, he couldn’t explode yet, he needed to complete the contract. “I am your Master,” Karna managed to get out, although the words were like dry pebbles in his mouth. Arjuna nodded and Karna felt the connection, the contract between them forged. “Did you loot his body after he died?” Karna spat, unable to hold his anger back any longer. Arjuna’s face remained serene but his eyes widened and Karna could feel his confusion. “How could my artifact have summoned YOU? Did you rip it from his corpse?”

“Master?” Arjuna said and Karna stalked past him to the summoning circle, scooping up the earring. Then he shoved it into Arjuna’s hand.

“How did this come into your possession for long enough that it was a relic of you as well as your brother?” Karna demanded as Arjuna looked at the sun in his hand. He just held it for a moment before his white gloved hand tightened around the fine gold.

“Duryodhana gave it to me after the cremation. To remind me I had broken the dharma of war and killed my own brother,” Arjuna said and Karna stared at him. Duryodhana had done what?

“He had no right,” Karna muttered before taking back the sun wheel. Or rather, trying to. Arjuna’s grip was too tight. Karna gave him a hard look and his brother finally released his hold on the gold, letting Karna take it. He clipped it back to his ear before flipping it into place. Arjuna’s eyes widened and Karna wondered if he saw the resemblance. “As you may have inferred, you are not the brother I meant to summon. However, we must make the best of it. Come, I will make us some tea and I can explain the situation.” While this was _unfortunate,_ Karna couldn’t allow it to get in the way of his goals.

Even as he put together the tea, though, Karna felt an ache in the back of his head and reluctantly acknowledged what it meant. As a Heroic Spirit, Karna’s mental endurance was exceptional. Combining with Shirou had given him human qualities Karna had lacked – a capacity for negative emotions – but also given his mind a bit of fragility. Nightmares and waking flashbacks had haunted him for some time. They had gradually worn off, as the memories settled into his mind, aided with Karna’s acceptance.

Soon, though, they would be sliding out like pus from a long forgotten but still infected wound. Karna mentally resigned himself to many nightmares as he prepared the tea. Black tea, it was the kind Arjuna would know well. Hm, what should he bring out with it? More shortbread biscuits. It behooved him to be a good host.

Karna brought the tea and food out, feeling his sari rustle as he walked. It was blue and green today, with a belt of yellow silk, actually an obi. As Karna brought the food out he felt Arjuna’s dark eyes on him and detected a silent judgement of some kind. Deciding he didn’t care, he poured them tea.

“Would you like cream or sugar?” Karna asked politely and Arjuna shook his head. “Mm.” He lightened his tea with a touch of cream and one cube of sugar, stirring to mix it before taking a sip. Ah, it was good. Karna took a biscuit before offering the basket to Arjuna, who declined. _Not a gracious guest._ Well, that was to be expected.

“May I know my Master’s name?” Arjuna asked and Karna hesitated. For a moment he debated giving his brother the name of Natalie but… no. He couldn’t, it would be a pallid and quickly revealed lie. Instead, he sipped his tea before giving Arjuna a small smile.

“Karna.” He said simply and saw Arjuna’s face stiffen for a moment, a flash of disbelief in his eyes before it faded to darkness. “Yes, it was an odd name to give to a girl but they wanted me to be a boy.”

“Perhaps it was fate. You look very much like him,” Arjuna offered after a moment before sipping his tea. His eyebrows arched in a small display of surprise and Karna wondered what he’d expected. Used dishwater? Tempting, but he’d never do that to a guest.

“Mmm, well, I have summoned you for the Holy Grail war. I believe we are the first to complete our summoning,” Karna said before running a hand through his hair. It was shoulder length and the same tousled style he’d always favored. “However, our purpose is not to win the Grail.” A subtle tension immediately entered Arjuna’s bearing. Karna blinked, wondering what his wish for the Grail could be. It was clear to him that his brother had one. “In the prior war, the Grail was corrupted. We are to make sure it is cleansed of that corruption and if it is, we will help Tohsaka Rin and her Servant win the war,” Karna said and Arjuna frowned at him. He smiled back serenely. “Tohsaka is a good friend of mine and I feel I owe her Servant a debt.” A rather odd debt, but he’d been very unkind to Archer. For extremely good reason, yet Archer’s reasons seemed to cancel that out, leaving only the unkindness. Was that insane? Perhaps, but Karna could not help but feel that way.

“I see,” Arjuna sounded displeased. “So I am the follower of a follower.” That was meant to sting but it completely missed the mark.

“If it pleases you to look at it that way,” Karna returned placidly, sipping his tea. “What wish could you possibly have, Awarded Hero?” He could not help the mild derision that entered his voice. Arjuna’s lips tightened and his eyes flashed.

“Eternal solitude.” …What? Karna’s hand paused, his teacup in the air. Then he set the cup back down before regarding his brother evenly.

“You are aware that solitary confinement is a form of torture,” Karna said after a moment. Arjuna only met his gaze. “Why would you ask for such a thing?”

“I do not have to explain my reasoning to you,” Arjuna said and Karna frowned as he thought about Berserker Arjuna. It was hard, so hard, but it brought a reason to mind.

_Are you afraid this darkness in your heart will hurt others? Or are you only afraid they will see it and know you for the monster you are?_ Although Arjuna was not a monster. He was trying with all his might to suppress that darkness. Yet, could the same not have been said of Kotomine, for most of his life? Karna felt a chill at the thought. _Perhaps giving up the fight is what separates the monster from the man._ This wish seemed even more dangerous now. If he could truly achieve it would Arjuna go mad? Blinking away the uncomfortable thoughts, Karna gave his full attention to Arjuna.

“You are right, that is not my business,” Karna accepted and Arjuna’s tension eased just a hair. He was not comfortable though. Oh well. “Well, I was expecting to summon Karna, who is renowned as a Lancer. You are more known as an Archer,” Karna said before taking another biscuit. “Please, enlighten me as to your skills.” Although Karna could guess, having seen them on the battlefield. Still, it would be good to refresh his memory.

There were no particular surprises. Arjuna had standard attacks, his skill with the lance. A flashing but not especially powerful attack, the Anjalike astra. Karna found it amusing that he referred to it as not especially powerful, given that it had beheaded Karna after Arjuna’s arrow had found his heart. The Brahmanda astra, a defensive shield, and the Brahmashirsha astra, a potent scorched earth Noble Phantasm. The last made Karna purse his lips. He still had a very limited mana pool. How much could Arjuna store?

“I… also have an entrancement,” Arjuna said reluctantly and Karna blinked, focusing on him. “But I prefer not to use it.”

“Oh? Why?” Karna asked, interested. He couldn’t remember Arjuna ever employing such a weapon.

“…I have to dance and sing,” Arjuna growled and Karna suddenly remembered the story that Arjuna had either been transformed into a woman for a year, or just forced to live as an eunuch among them.

“So Urvashi’s curse was real? I thought it was just a story. Was your gender actually changed?” Given his own gender issues Karna was highly interested. Arjuna stared at him with quiet animosity.

“I do not wish to speak of this,” Arjuna’s voice was chilly and Karna relented. It was an understandably touchy subject.

“Then please, have a biscuit,” Karna offered the basket again and this time Arjuna took one, biting into the soft and flaky pastry. Again, he seemed surprised. “Do you think I would offer any guest poor hospitality?” Karna asked, mildly annoyed.

“Of course not,” Arjuna’s reply was smooth enough but Karna’s eyes narrowed as he read the truth beneath it. Arjuna believed Karna’s hospitality would be poor in general, in his arrogant assumptions of superiority.

“Hmph. Your arrogance shows, oh prince. I will have you know that whatever caste you may think I am, you are wrong. This land is as foreign to you as the language we speak,” Karna said acerbically, allowing his cup to clatter a bit as he set it down. “But since you have told me your abilities, I shall return the favor. I am Emiya Karna. I possess a small but steady mana pool and I am an amateur magus of no note,” he said and saw Arjuna was distinctly unimpressed. Well, there was nothing impressive about it. “I possess reinforcement and projection magic, making me a reasonably fierce opponent. I am capable of engaging Servants, albeit briefly.” Karna did not delude himself. Except perhaps against very weak Servants, he would ultimately be doomed. “I will show you…” Karna stood up and backed away from the table before activating his mage circuits. They turned on easily, like a well-oiled machine. “Trace on.” The naginata, his new favored weapon, appeared in Karna’s hands. That startled Arjuna and actually gained a trace of interest as he looked at the foreign polearm. “This is a minor weapon that can summon a burst of wind. The use of it depends how well I can concentrate it,” Karna said, a touch ruefully. If he managed to narrow his focus to a pin-point, that wind burst could be dangerous. It was very hard though, very hard.

“May I see that?” Arjuna asked, rising to his feet and moving to Karna’s side. He blinked, a touch uncomfortable at the closeness but let Arjuna take the weapon from his hands. “You… created this, yet I cannot tell it is anything but real,” he muttered after a moment of intense concentration. “This metal is so fine. How do you do this?”

“Projection magic. It is my one true talent and not very useful,” Karna said and Arjuna looked at him, a small frown on his face. “This is the modern era. Think to the knowledge you have been given. How is the ability to project weapons remotely useful?” To his credit, Arjuna paused and thought about it.

“I suppose you are right,” he said after a long moment. “What… how do you support yourself?” Karna was willing to bet Arjuna had been about to inquire about his caste.

“I am an owner of a restaurant,” Karna said as he took back the naginata, then dispelled it. “Son of the Sun Curry House.” Karna didn’t regret the name but the way Arjuna’s lips tightened was not unexpected. “I will take you to see it tomorrow. I wasn’t supposed to summon for a few more days, so it’s still open.” Arjuna gazed at him in silent question and Karna amplified. “I have been saving for the War. The restaurant is going to close a month for ‘renovations’.” The truth was, Karna didn’t have another person he trusted to run it for such a long period. “All of my employees are getting vacation pay.” That was making him very popular right now. Karna thought that would last only until the next time he had to discipline the staff, but such was life.

“I see. Well, it is not my place to question my Master,” Arjuna said and Karna took that with a grain of salt roughly the size of the Himalayas. He was sure Arjuna would be silently critiquing his every action.

“Mm. Well, for now, we should both rest.” Karna was luckier in his mana than Rin. He naturally peaked at nine at night. But that meant it was now very late. Arjuna glanced out the window and nodded. “Let me show you your room.” It was fully set up, Karna had cleaned it well before beginning the summoning.

Karna showed Arjuna to his rooms, wishing as he did that he hadn’t decorated it with himself in mind. The pillows with the suns on them would have delighted Heroic Spirit Karna and were completely unsuitable for Arjuna. The rest of the décor, which was very bright and cheerful and continued the sun theme, was almost as bad. The Mexican majolica suns on the walls were particularly tasteless.

“I know, it is garish. You can redecorate it tomorrow,” Karna said and Arjuna nodded, his gaze fixed on the smiling suns with a horrified air. Karna beat a quick retreat. “…My wife was right.” Vrushali had told him he had all the taste of a color-blind magpie. Karna had tried to keep the impulses under control with his restaurant but when preparing a room for ‘himself’ he’d gone wild. Why not? Karna would love it! Unfortunately, putting Arjuna in the same setting was… not right. At all.

Karna went to his own rooms, which were decorated in roughly the same way as Arjuna’s. His majolica suns were a touch nicer and there was a beautiful, gilded bronze wall art on one wall, depicting a sun shining through leaves. There was also a floor length mirror with a gilded frame and Karna stood in front of it as he disrobed. As always, he was unsatisfied with his reflection.

“I wish I were more like a real woman,” Karna murmured, gazing at his reflection. In his own mind, he was still a man but his body was certainly female. Unfortunately, not very feminine. Still so muscular with very tiny breasts. His hips were shapely enough, though, with a feminine curve. That was really all he had. “I need a breast augmentation or a sex reassignment.” Although he didn’t mind being a woman. It was just frustrating that he couldn’t seem to attract male attention.

Shaking his head at himself – was he really going to waste money on something so frivolous? – Karna flicked off the lights before settling into bed. As he settled into the floor bed, though, Karna found he couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t hard to figure out why and Karna resolutely closed his eyes.

Refusing to sleep would not help. Sooner or later, he would dream.


	5. The Curry House

_It was black. Everything was black. Not because it was dark but because he had no eyes to see._

_“You look so beautiful this way, Aniki.” A finger went over his cheek in a parody of gentleness and he tried to jerk away. But a hand went through his hair, catching and holding him with an iron grip. “Like a suffering angel. Do you believe in angels, Onii-san?” Karna said nothing and then gasped in pain as fingers dug into an open wound. “That was a question.”_

_“Trick… question…?” Karna muttered, his nerve endings screaming at him. Unfortunately, he could make out every single gash and laceration. Arjuna’s laugh was wild and unrestrained and nothing like him._

_“Ah, yes, we both know it doesn’t work that way, don’t we?” The hand in his hair abruptly yanked and Karna could not hold back a pained whine as fresh blood spilled down his cheeks. “That’s a beautiful sound. Make that sound again.” Karna’s pride forbade it but pride was not much of a shield. Arjuna tore through it easily and Karna could not help but give his brother what he desired._

_He had no future and no hope. He could only endure._

* * *

 

Karna reached up to rub his forehead as he prepared his morning tea.

He couldn’t clearly recall his dreams but he didn’t have to. He could guess what they had consisted of. Karna’s sleep had been badly broken, leaving him tired and a little sick this morning. As he made his tea, Karna checked his connection with Arjuna and evaluated it. His circuits were running at about half-power to support the Heroic Spirit at rest. Not bad, not bad at all.

With his presence sensing, Karna could easily sense that Arjuna was still in his room. Considering what to make, Karna decided to make something that Arjuna would likely recognize. At least, Karna had eaten these as a child, many times.

Soon Karna was mixing together the oat batter, humming as he worked. Ah, already he could tell these would be delicious! Smiling, he greased the steamer plates with oil before pouring in the batter. Arjuna came into the kitchen as they were still steaming, savory scents beginning to fill the room.

“There’s tea on the kitchen table,” Karna said cheerfully as he made a quick tamarind chutney. Making food was always calming and last nights’ nightmare was fading quickly from his mind. “Here we are~” Karna began taking the oats idli out of the steamer and plating them. The familiar scent made him lick his lips. “Please, take as many as you like, I’m making more!” This would likely be too many but that was fine. They were no good reheated but Karna had a plan for the extras. As the next batch steamed, Karna plated the tamarind chutney. To his slight disappointment, Arjuna had not taken any cakes or even poured himself tea. His hands were folded and his expression was calm and waiting?

_Does he expect me to serve him?_ Karna blinked as he suddenly wondered if Arjuna’s manners were much different than what he was used to. Testing his new theory, Karna poured Arjuna some tea and set three, no, four oats idli onto a plate before pushing it towards him with an encouraging smile. Arjuna accepted the food graciously. Interesting.

As he cooked the rest of the cakes, Karna carefully considered that small exchange. His own family background was almost non-existent. Was this normal for a Royal family? Well, obviously it was for Arjuna. Yet every kingdom was different and in the land he was eventually given, Karna could not recall – oh wait. Hadn’t he just jumped in to serve himself? Had everyone adapted themselves to him? Since he’d been the King, most likely they had.

“I was raised by wolves,” Karna murmured softly. Actually, he hadn’t even been raised by wolves, he’d simply been raised by no one at all. Until he’d been taken in by his foster-family but Karna hadn’t eaten at the table much. “Hm.” He would need to adapt himself to Arjuna. Karna had good Japanese style manners but that was different as well.

Finishing the second batch of oat idli, Karna brought them to the table. Arjuna had cleared his plate and Karna was pleased to see he’d availed himself of the tamarind sauce.

“These are very good. May I have more?” Arjuna said politely and Karna smiled before serving him more of the oat cakes. “Thank you.”

“It is nothing. Here, let me refill your tea.” Karna said, finding he rather enjoyed this. Arjuna accepted the tea with a nod and Karna began serving himself. Settling in on a cushion, he picked up an oat idli – he considered them finger food – and bit into it. Mmm, bliss. Then he reached for the tamarind sauce. That would make it perfect.

A delicious breakfast later and they were ready to go. Karna bundled up the last few oat cakes in a small paper packet. On the way to the restaurant, a stray shiba inu accosted them, tail wagging hopefully. Karna tossed him the leftovers with a smile and the dog gulped them down. Karna paused to pat the stray on the head before continuing on his way, Arjuna following behind him like a quiet shadow.

When he reached the restaurant, Karna found it as he expected. It wasn’t open but Sachiko was already there, sweeping as she hummed. Her grandson, Naoya, was setting the tables for the lunch buffet. It tended to be busy and Karna could already smell the dal. But they let that cook overnight in the pressure cooker, to maximize the flavor.

“Karna!” Naoya’s smile turned sharply into a scowl as he saw Arjuna. “Who is this flute player?” Karna’s mouth dropped open a little at the sudden, unexpected rudeness. He was at a loss for how to handle it.

Fortunately, Sachiko was not.

“NAOYA!” Her broom hit her grandson sharply and he yelped before putting up his hands to fend her off. “This is how you speak to a stranger?! Apologize immediately!”

“No!” Naoya retorted and Karna stared as he was hit with the broom again. “Grandma! Stop it!”

“Then get out! Get out, go home and tell your mother why you are not welcome here – again!” Karna did know about that, Sachiko tossed Naoya out with amusing regularity. He was only fourteen, though, and a sullen attitude was part and parcel of that age. Still… flute player? Naoya didn’t want to go, curiously enough, but Sachiko forced him out the door with her broom. “I apologize for my grandson. He has decided that he is in love with Karna,” Sachiko apologized to Arjuna and Karna’s mouth fell open.

“…When did he decide this?” Karna asked, bemused, as Arjuna stared blankly. Discernment of the Poor only worked if you talked so Karna had no idea what he was thinking. Sachiko sighed, shaking her head.

“Last week. You will be his third true love this year,” she said with an eyeroll and Karna had to bite the inside of his cheek to hold back a laugh. “So of course he is upset to see you in the company of such a handsome young man,” Sachiko beamed at Arjuna and he actually took a step back. “I hope you are worthy of Karna. Not like my stupid grandson. I told him, he is not worthy but of course he does not listen.”

“He is very young,” Arjuna said graciously and Sachiko’s beaming intensified. Karna took Arjuna’s arm before things could get even more embarrassing.

“Thank you for the help, but I should begin the lunch curries,” Karna said firmly and Sachiko reluctantly let them go. Karna pulled Arjuna to the back of the shop. They were alone for now although very soon the other cooks would arrive. Karna employed two others, besides himself. “Arjuna, do you know how to cook at all?” Karna did not have high hopes. Arjuna hesitated a brief moment.

“I have cooked meat over a fire. Aside from that, no.” Ah, right, the kind of cooking men did on the move. Even a prince might sear a rabbit over a fire. Not helpful for this though. Karna began turning on the stove. “Karna… I know I was insulted but I do not understand how,” Arjuna said carefully and Karna blinked, looking up from the knobs to see his brother looking at him with an earnest expression. Bizarre. “I am an able flute player.” …PWAHAHAHA!

“I daresay you are,” Karna said, very amused. Arjuna was still confused and Karna tried to delicately explain. “It refers to the flute that any man can play.” Still no comprehension. “The one you were born with?”

“I… oh!” Arjuna abruptly got it and Karna could see his flush even with his dark skin. “Brat,” he muttered and Karna did agree with that sentiment. Pulling some pre-chopped onions out of the fridge, he began the first curry of the day.

Then the other chefs were arriving and they began preparing all the things. Fresh samosas, pakoras, roti, rice and dal. Three curries, which changed every day. Kheer for dessert. Karna had learned that to the Japanese palette, most Indian deserts were cloyingly sweet. Kheer was an exception and suited his customers quite well. Karna asked Arjuna to go to Sachiko and see if she needed help with anything. He was only underfoot in the kitchen but Sachiko could likely find something for him to clean. Princely dignity? Karna did not care.

Then the lunch rush began and Karna had no time to care about Arjuna at all. Their lunch buffet was popular and busy so the food had to keep coming, particularly the samosas. Those were extremely popular. There were also a few lunch takeout orders and they handled those with dispatch. It was not hard, since the lunch menu was limited to whatever curries were in the buffet. With all the work the time seemed to fly and soon enough, it was time to clean. Hmm, the dishwasher was out sick. Well.

Karna mentally summoned Arjuna and he came in from whatever he’d been doing, a frown on his face.

“Please, can you help us with the dishes?” Arjuna’s eyes widened as he looked at the stacks. “You just have to put them in the washer. Let me show you.” Karna opened the industrial dishwasher and began showing Arjuna the best way to put in the plates. Because they had only three shapes, it was not difficult. “The cutlery goes in these baskets, can you handle that?”

“I… believe so,” Arjuna sounded non-plussed and Karna didn’t care. He had hands, he could use them. Although he could easily guess Arjuna’s objection. This was woman’s work. As Karna began the hard work of cleaning the pots, which could not go in the washer, he kept an eye on Arjuna. But he loaded it well and efficiently, not breaking any dishes by ‘accident’… Naoya’s favorite tactic… so Karna was pleased.

“When it is done loading you start it like this…” Karna found the cleanser and showed Arjuna how to start the machine. He arched his eyebrows at the loud rumble. “When it stops running it’s done, but be careful when you open it, steam will rush out. Once the steam is out, leave it open until the dishes are cool enough to put away. The dishes go here…” Karna showed Arjuna the spots. Fortunately a few dishes were still left so it was reasonably obvious. “While you are waiting for that, load the other washer with all the glasses.”

“This is unbefitting a Servant and a prince,” Arjuna muttered and Karna was actually amused at the mild sign of rebellion.

“Well, I see no point in leaving you idle when our dishwasher has called out sick,” Karna said firmly and Arjuna just shook his head as he began loading the second machine.

“You may bear the same name but you are nothing like my brother,” Arjuna said and Karna stared at his back, particularly taken aback because he could tell Arjuna meant every word. Shaking his head, Karna went back to work, this time cleaning the stoves.

_Have I really changed so much?_ Karna wondered if he truly had. And yet. _How could Arjuna even know me well enough to say that?_ The thought brought a sour taste to his mouth and Karna frowned as he scrubbed particularly hard. Arjuna had not known Karna, not really. Every time their paths crossed it had seemed to end in a squall. Despite… Karna brushed the thought away like an irritating gnat. _I should not dwell on the past._

With all the work they were putting in, the kitchen was soon spotless again. Karna had read the sanitary codes and followed them religiously. Then, of course, it was time to begin prepping for supper. Arjuna was banished from the kitchen again to help Sachiko as curries began to cook and samosas were made. They always made plenty ahead of time so they could be dropped into the hot oil for quick serving.

Supper was not a buffet and much quieter on the surface. In actuality, they were doing an extremely brisk delivery business. Three bike couriers took order after order and Karna hummed to himself. This was a very good night. Tomorrow would be good too. It was a shame he would have to close the curry house after that. However, the renovation was real enough. The chairs and tables he’d bought were cheap and needed replacing, the décor was getting tired. It was all going to go and soon his customers would have a new and improved curry house. He was also going to put in some improvements in the kitchen.

Humming softly at the thought, Karna looked at the tickets. Most of them were printed from online orders and very easy to read. He filled them and packaged them, feeling almost in a trance as the night wore on. When things began to quiet, around eight, Karna began cleaning up again. Everyone cleaned with him… the faster they could get the cleaning done, the sooner they could leave.

The Curry house stopped taking new take-out orders at nine and officially closed at ten. Today they were lucky and closed up right on time. As he evaluated the take for the day, Karna was pleased. His business was very healthy.

Finally, Karna was able to leave with Arjuna, a bag of leftover curry in hand. Arjuna’s expression revealed nothing and his face was serene, but Karna was easily able to detect his irritation.

“We won’t be coming to the Curry house tomorrow. Sachiko has graciously agreed to step in for me while I show you around town,” Karna said to him and Arjuna nodded slightly. “She is matchmaking again.” Sachiko thought they would be a lovely pair. Although. “However, she does not think you are worthy of me yet,” Karna said, mischief bubbling through him as Arjuna looked at him blankly.

“I am a Prince,” he said it as if Karna was an idiot. Karna’s lips curved in a wicked smile.

“Yes, Sachiko noticed that, or something like it. She said you might be spoiled and high-maintenance,” Karna teased and saw Arjuna’s brows go down, a frown finally gracing his face. Ah, at last! Karna had never needed to work this hard to rile Arjuna up as a man. “She would not be impressed with a Prince. She would want me to marry one of our hardworking cooks.” Alas that they were all married or uninterested.

“She wants you to marry into your caste,” Arjuna observed and Karna blinked, a sudden pain touching his heart. It deepened into true distress as he thought about it.

“We would say class but I suppose you are right,” Karna murmured, his mind suddenly travelling to the past. It had been hard growing up with no parents, no one to love and nurture and hold. He’d thought himself the lowest of the low, born without caste. Then his adoption into the charioteer caste, the love of his foster mother. And yet, no one had ever forgotten that he was the abandoned child, unwanted and unloved. _I did not feel this way when I was alive._ As the true Karna, he’d accepted the prejudice of others, the obstacles placed in his way. The Karna that was also a human boy could not do that. Now he railed against the unfairness of it all.

“Master?” A hand fell on his shoulder, a gentle grip that made Karna start and realize he’d stopped walking.

“I… am sorry,” Karna said before he began moving. But his steps were slow, his mind and heart heavy. “It is hard when you do not fit in,” Karna finally said, looking up into the sky. The stars twinkled there, hardly obscured by the streetlights. “Very hard… that is why I called for my namesake. His story is… similar to my own.” That was true in so many ways. Shirou had lost his parents to fire and death but he’d still been left behind. But he was talking to Arjuna. How could the Prince understand? “Ah, it is nothing,” Karna forced himself out of the past. They still had to do something. “We need to redecorate your room. I’m afraid you’ll have to endure it one more night and we can go shopping tomorrow.”

“Master, I saw two other rooms that seemed more to my taste. Could I not simply move?” Arjuna asked and Karna wished he could but…

“No, those rooms were prepared for Rin and Archer. They have an adjoining door, did you notice?” He likely hadn’t. “Since they are not lovers yet but hopefully shall be, this arrangement would be best for them,” Karna said as delicately as he could manage. It would be very easy for Archer or Rin to visit the other without disturbing anyone else. “And Rin is arriving tomorrow evening, late, so I would like the rooms to stay as they are.”

“I see. That does make sense,” Arjuna said after a moment and Karna could tell that while he did not like it, he thought the logic was sound. “I will look forward to tomorrow then.” Karna looked forward to it too. If Arjuna knew nothing of Karna’s true personality, then Karna really didn’t know his brother at all. He’d… he’d wanted to, but had never managed it. Things always degenerated into a squall.

Remembering some of the most notable occasions – with Shirou’s social skills, Karna realized it had not all been Arjuna’s fault, no, not at all – Karna began preparing some tea. He even managed to smile a bit at himself. Ah, he’d been insufferably dense. Had Arjuna realized how socially inept Karna truly was? Had he ever had the least inkling what lay behind some of their interactions? Karna was willing to bet the answer was no.

Still, that was all in the past and he did not intend to revisit it. After the tea was done Karna reheated the curry and plated it, serving them both. Arjuna immediately tucked in, to his pleasure.

“You are a very fine cook. This dish would not be out of place in the Royal palace,” Arjuna complimented him and Karna felt warmed by it, particularly since he could tell Arjuna was being utterly truthful. But then, his brother was not one to give false compliments.

“Thank you. I love cooking, it is my great passion in life,” Karna said, eating his own curry. Ah, it was particularly good tonight, the meat was falling apart tender. “Someday perhaps, I might expand my business into a chain.” That was far off though. How did you go about it? Karna was interested to find out. “I also want to see if I can go on TV,” Karna said, thinking about it. There had been a few local specials that had featured his restaurant but he wanted more. Iron Chef? It might not just be a dream.

“Yet, you are participating in a war that could claim your life. You do not fear death, merchant?” Arjuna said, his voice tinged with derision and Karna suddenly felt breathless with rage.

“Do not mock me!” he snapped and saw Arjuna’s eyes widen, his expression suddenly taken aback. “I have begged for death and not been granted it. I have faced horrors that could break your mind. I am still here, and I am strong. Keep your judgements to yourself, oh Prince!” Karna took a deep breath and throttled his anger. This was… unreasonable. But hearing such words from Arjuna, after what his brother had done to him, was infuriating. “I… apologize. That was unwarranted. But my past is an ugly one and I do not fear death,” Karna managed to say calmly and Arjuna took a breath before sipping his tea.

“I see.” They said little else for the rest of the meal, concentrating on the food. After they were done Karna brought out a small dessert, a bit of caramel ice cream that he served with candied pecans. The sweetness on his tongue dispelled the lingering bitterness and Karna felt that he was calm again. Arjuna also finished his, expression calm as he sipped his tea.

Karna took care of the dishes as Arjuna retired for the night. Then he settled into his own room, exhausted and in need of sleep. But again, sleep was reluctant to come and Karna sighed to himself as he burrowed more deeply into his blankets.

He had a feeling this would be a depressingly familiar theme in the days to come.


	6. Summoning Archer

_The small child walked in the burning sun, looking for anything like food._

_He was white, like a ghost. He knew that because other people said so. Some whispered it to each other, others loudly yelled it at him as they threw rocks or sticks. He ran away when they did that, but the little boy did not blame them. He didn’t blame anyone. He accepted whatever came to him, good and bad._

_Right now it was mostly bad. The sun did not bother him but he was so hungry! He whimpered softly as he walked, a hand pressed to his belly. It hurt, it hurt so much, he was so tired but he needed to find some food._

_The little boy tripped on the hard earth and fell. His little chest heaved with every breath and he coughed, stirring the dirt. He needed to get up yet he was just so tired. It wouldn’t hurt to rest a while, would it? The sun felt nice on his skin. He could… rest…_

_He was just closing his eyes when he heard a voice._

_“Ah, you poor little thing!” The sun was blotted out and he opened his eyes to see an old woman, a wizened grandmother. She was wearing an orange shawl that framed her face and her clothing seemed very heavy for such a hot day._

_“Mama, he looks like a ghost,” a younger voice protested but the old woman didn’t listen._

_“He is just a child and he is starving,” she said as he sat up, interest in the world beginning to revive. “Here child, take this.” She offered him a mango. The little boy stared in surprise before reaching out a hand. This was for him?_

_“Thank you,” he whispered and she smiled at him._

_“It is nothing child.” Then the other woman, much younger, was pulling her away. They began to walk and he looked after them, speechless. Then he bit into the mango and almost cried. It was sweet and ripe, not rotten or bitter and the sweet juices soothed his throat as the ache in his stomach began to ease. That woman had given him this, even though she had so little._

**_I want to be like her._ **

* * *

 

_It was hot. So hot._

_The little boy whimpered, unable to move. He was hot. He hurt. There was darkness around him, not the slightest hint of light._

_Light! Something moved. He could see stars. There was wood over him, it was shifting. Then he saw a face. He reached up, his tiny hand trembling and weak. Then large hands, warm but not burning, comforting, take his hand._

_“You are alive,” the man’s voice breaks and tears run down his face. He is so happy. So joyful. The little boy has never seen someone so happy before. “Child, you are alive. I will get you out of here,” then he moved the wood. Warm arms lifted him out and the little boy felt warm tears on his skin. Before the child passed out, a thought crossed his mind._

**_I want to be like him._ **

* * *

 

Karna hummed softly as she prepared breakfast.

Today, she was going back to Shirou’s roots. Tamagoyaki with rice and miso soup. A bit of fried fish on the side. Yes, this would all be delicious. Arjuna entered the room, beautifully coifed as always and Karna made a mental note. They needed to buy him some ordinary clothing. Not that what he was wearing was bad – it was beautiful – but it was very eye-catching. Along with Karna’s saris it was all a bit too much. They looked like they had stepped from the pages of an Indian epic.

Chuckling softly at the thought – that was exactly what they had done, wasn’t it? – Karna poured the tea, then served the miso soup. Arjuna frowned into the small bowl as Karna began plating the rice, egg and fish.

“It’s miso soup. It’s a common food here and actually quite delicious,” Karna told him and Arjuna sampled it carefully. He seemed to find it acceptable, from the faint smile that touched his lips. They ate in silence for a while and Karna fancied Arjuna was giving him a thoughtful look. Why? Karna surreptitiously checked his clothing. Another sari, this one a ruby red that matched his eyes. Everything seemed to be in place.

Still mildly worried that he had missed something – had he applied the eyeliner right? – Karna picked up the chopsticks and began to eat. Arjuna handled his quite well, he noticed. But he would, that was part of the knowledge given by the Grail.

When the plates were empty and cleaned, Karna stopped in front of Arjuna and clapped his hands together happily.

“Time to go shopping!” He exclaimed and Arjuna’s non-expression turned into mild horror, for just a moment. “What? We are shopping for you! Clothing and décor for your room. When we get back, we’ll turn it into a room fit for the son of Indra,” Karna said happily. He was honestly looking forward to seeing Arjuna’s sense of style.

“Oh. Yes, of course,” Arjuna said quietly and Karna could tell he was afraid Karna would be a typical woman and shop until they both dropped. Tempting, but he didn’t have money to throw around. Still, maybe he could find a nicer handbag? Oh, speaking of which.

“I forgot, I need my bag, one moment!” Karna darted to his bedroom. He didn’t usually bring a purse to the Curry house, there was nowhere to lock it up. Looking in the closet, Karna paused for a moment. Which bag should he use? He had six. “Hmm…” His finest was an adorable little Coach bag but it was black. No. The most interesting was heavily beaded but it was blue and yellow. No. He did have a white bag but it was cheap and older, some of the surface was beginning to peel. Finally pulling it out, Karna looked at himself in the mirror. It actually looked quite fine with its applique flowers and the peeling was unnoticeable. “Yes,” Karna said decisively before finding his wallet and sticking it inside. Turning away he saw Arjuna had followed him and was staring at the exceedingly bright, sun themed room with more of that mild horror.

“You seem determined to live up to your name,” he said after a moment and Karna blinked before smiling. Arjuna had no idea.

“I am a sun worshiper. It never burns me, despite my skin, and makes me feel good,” Karna said lightly. Arjuna would not know because they’d never spoken on friendly terms but that was precisely what the original Karna would have said. He did not like to boast of his father, despite the love he felt for Surya. “Come, let us go.”

“Yes Master,” Arjuna said obediently and they were out the door.

They did attract plenty of attention on the streets of Fuyuki. Karna could overhear remarks about Arjuna, some people wondering if his clothing was real or a costume. Ah, they definitely needed new clothing for him, it was just barely within acceptable. Other whispers, though, were only admiring and Karna overheard one woman say they made a beautiful couple.

So the first shop they stopped in was a clothing store. It was all Western style clothing, which Karna was sure would suit Arjuna much better than Japanese. He was not happy with it though.

“I do not care for any of this,” Arjuna’s voice was chilly and Karna sighed as she looked at the racks of clothing. It was true, compared to what he was wearing they were very boring and drab. Still.

“Arjuna, this is a Grail War. Your clothing is just barely acceptable in public,” Karna said gently and Arjuna’s lips turned down in a hard frown. “You look like what you are, a Prince. You catch every eye. You need clothing that will let you blend in.”

“You are every bit as eye catching as I,” Arjuna said acerbically and Karna could see he very much did not want to give up his clothing. Why? Hn, Discernment of the Poor did not seem to be functioning as well as usual. Karna frowned at that, a prick of worry touching his heart. That ability had never failed him before. Concentrating hard, he could see that Arjuna was afraid – “Karna?”

“Uh? Oh, I apologize,” Karna said, shaken out of his concentration and realizing he’d been staring. “I have other clothing. But Arjuna, the Grail War can depend on stealth as much as raw strength. I am… not capable of melting into a crowd.” Karna gestured towards his face with a wry smile. “I am sure you can see why.” White hair, white skin and ruby red eyes would stand out even in the fairest of Nordic countries. In Japan, he was like a sore thumb. “Your coloring is reasonably common.” Not Japanese but still not unusual. “You can go unnoticed where I cannot, but only if you are dressed appropriately.”

“It is beneath the dignity of a prince to go unnoticed,” Arjuna muttered and Karna stared at him, highly irritated.

“You put your pride as a prince above your Master’s success? What is the honor in that?” Karna snapped before banging her wrists together. The multicolored bangles she was wearing jangled musically. “I am your Master! Obey me!” If Arjuna forced her to use a Command Seal for something so idiotic, Karna would be perturbed, to say the least.

“I… very well,” Arjuna randomly grabbed a pair of slacks and Karna wished he’d at least tried to determine if they would fit. As he stalked towards the change rooms, Karna began to select clothing he thought would fit and suit Arjuna’s sense of style. “This does not fit…” Imagine that.

“Passive aggressive stupidity,” Karna muttered under his breath. As a Heroic Spirit, he’d likely have said that directly to Arjuna’s face. But as Emiya Karna, he had more tact. Instead of pointing out that Arjuna had set himself up for failure, he carried over a new armful of clothes. “Please, try these on and note which size of pants fits best. Then, tell me and I will find more in that size,” Karna said before handing the clothing over the door. Arjuna took them, albeit reluctantly.

After a bit of trial and error they determined Arjuna’s size and Karna insisted he model various outfits. Since Arjuna was unenthusiastic about everything, Karna firmly selected three sets of slacks, one black and two beige, and a single pair of jeans. Then he picked out three dress shirts and three regular shirts.

“I would also like this,” Arjuna added something to the pile and Karna blinked at the tie. It was… astonishingly close to Arjuna’s favored color scheme, white with lines of purple.

“Certainly!” It was expensive but if Arjuna was beginning to cooperate, Karna would pay for it. Feeling a bit of relief that this was over, they carried out the bags.

Next was the décor. Fortunately, the store they went to was willing to do same day delivery for a suitable fee. They were soon picking out everything Arjuna could desire, draperies, linens and decorations. Arjuna was very pleased to find a white, blue and purple comforter. The draperies he selected were white and he only wanted one decoration, a mirror surrounded by a mosaic of blue and white.

The last thing they needed was paint and rollers. Taking the bus, they stopped at a home renovation store and picked up a can of blue paint. Right now, Arjuna’s room had ivory walls except for one, a bright red accent wall. Red was Karna’s favorite color but emphatically not Arjuna’s, so that would have to go. The navy blue would be far more suitable.

The rest of the day was spent pleasantly painting, then decorating when the deliveries arrived. Karna made them a simple lunch, chicken stir-fry. As he prepared it, though, he also put dahl on to cook. It got much better when slow cooked over the stove, it would be delicious for supper.

“This is much better,” Arjuna said as he surveyed his finished room. “When will we do a second coat?” The accent wall needed more paint. Karna knelt down and checked the can.

“Another three hours,” Karna reported before standing. “I am glad you like it,” Karna said with a small smile. To his eyes, the newly decorated room was plain but charming. The white draperies moved softly in a breeze and the white and purple bed, with its simple white pillows, looked quite comfortable. The mosaic mirror added a perfect touch and for just a moment, Karna regretted his own magpie impulses. Then he shook the feeling away. Liking red and gilding and majolica suns was nothing to be ashamed of.

“Thank you, Master. I appreciate that you are attempting to make me comfortable,” Arjuna said graciously and Karna laughed throatily before gesturing to the door.

“Come, we should have tea. I can tell you about Rin and Archer.” Rin would be arriving tonight and depending on how she felt, she would summon Archer tonight or tomorrow.

As he prepared the tea, Karna considered how much to tell Arjuna. He was not ready to let Arjuna know that he was serving his brother, in a way. And he was not really prepared to let Arjuna know his own place in events. Karna wasn’t sure how his brother would react. Yet, the previous war had to be mentioned so he settled on a highly abridged version of events.

“I was a participant in the previous Grail War,” Karna said as they sipped their tea. Arjuna looked at him, a bit of surprise flickering through his dark eyes. “In that war I summoned your brother, Heroic Spirit Karna.” Arjuna’s lips turned down a little but he only sipped his tea, listening calmly. “Our allies at the time were Tohsaka Rin and her Servant Archer.” Karna paused for a moment before giving a small smile. “We never knew his real name. He claimed amnesia although we suspect he lied.” Even now, they had no idea of Archer’s true identity. Rin thought he must be a Heroic Spirit from the future.

“He was exceedingly deceptive. Archer betrayed Karna to another Servant and led to his death,” Karna said, glossing over quite a lot. “I was held captive. I escaped and that was when Rin found out about her Servants actions. She spurned Archer, dissolving their contract.”

“This is the person she loves, who we are determined to return?” Arjuna said in disbelief. Karna gave him a small, sad smile.

“Yes. We finally understood his actions when it was revealed that the Grail had been corrupted with all the evils of the World,” Karna said calmly and Arjuna suddenly swallowed. “It had the potential to kill over five billion people. There was an exact number, but I forget what it was.” Arjuna’s eyes widened at that. “Archer knew that Karna’s master was sub-standard and would not be able to supply enough mana for him to employ Vasavi Shakti. The only other Servant available was Saber, and he also had no attack that could destroy the corrupted Grail. Archer was aware of the corruption from the beginning and needed a weapon that could destroy the Chalice of the Grail.”

“The deal he made with the rival Master gave him exactly that. It was an item called the Hand of Divinity, and Archer used it to destroy the Grail,” Karna said, remembering Bazett’s account. “Then he vanished, all his mana used up. A tragic hero, committing the darkest of deeds for the greater good, misunderstood until the very end.” Karna dropped his gaze to his tea. “I… wish to apologize to him. I was… unkind.” He murmured and then blinked as a warm hand grasped his own.

“Dark deeds for the greater good. I understand,” Arjuna murmured and Karna looked up to meet his eyes. They were full of darkness and Karna was sure his brother was remembering his act of kinslaying. From the Pandavan perspective, that had surely been for the greater good. “You know, you are truly nothing like my brother.” Eh? “He would never apologize.” …!

“I… uh…” Karna was speechless for a moment, suddenly pawing through his memories. “Do you truly think so?” Karna managed to say, trying to isolate what would make Arjuna say that. His brother released his hand before making a small gesture.

“Oh, he would apologize if he knocked someone over. But for the damage his words caused? Never.” Karna swallowed hard at the absolute conviction in Arjuna’s voice. Examining himself, he found a bitter ring of truth in those words. Karna had never meant to wound with his words, not ever… but to him that had meant if someone else was hurt, that was their issue. He’d never apologized when his words were taken the wrong way.

“It must have been very difficult for his wife,” Karna finally said, cringing internally at the thought. Oh dear, his poor relationship with her was suddenly far more explicable. Arjuna chuckled softly, oblivious to the turmoil he’d just caused.

“They loved each other very much. She must have been an incredibly tolerant woman.” …Ergh. Karna reached for the shortbreads, seeking sugary medicine. He could not begin to explain to Arjuna that his brother’s marriage had not been like that at all.

Fortified with several biscuits, Karna took them firmly back to the topic of Archer. Karna described his appearance and abilities, cautioning Arjuna as he did that there were surely some he didn’t know. Arjuna took that caution with a frown.

“Surely you are not worried about him betraying you again?” he asked and Karna hesitated. How to put this?

“No… but I don’t expect him to ever be upfront about anything. That is not who he is,” Karna finally said before giving Arjuna a small smile. “I expect him to be excruciatingly annoying.” That one time Archer had tossed Shirou around like a doll, insulting him the whole time… Karna would not be the least bit surprised if he managed to mortally offend Arjuna. “Please, try not to take offense. If he does anything truly out of line, just report it to Rin and she can take care of it.” Rin was rather good at managing Archer, when he was in sight anyway. And not lying his pants off.

“This is the man your friend is in love with?” Arjuna asked and Karna could only smile.

“Honesty leads me to admit that Tohsaka can also be excruciatingly annoying. They get along well together,” Karna said lightly and Arjuna shook his head. “You’ll see it soon. For the summoning, I would like it if you could keep watch outside the house for any threats.” Arjuna nodded immediately and Karna almost felt badly for deceiving him. The real reason he didn’t want him in the home for Archer’s summoning was the fact that they would need to brief him. Karna had already made a quick phone call to Rin, advising her of the Servant he’d summoned.

_I’m not ready to tell him the truth about myself. It could damage our growing bond,_ Karna thought. The bond was deepening already, he could feel it. Arjuna was like a bit of fuzz on the edge of his mind, strange but oddly comforting.

After tea, Karna got the broom and dustpan and started sweeping. He wanted the house to be perfect for Rin’s arrival. Archer too for that matter.

That proved to be utterly wasted effort.

“Karna!” When Rin arrived she was flushed and bright eyed. They hugged energetically and Karna was pleased by how well she looked, how firm she felt. “And this must be Arjuna!” Rin smiled warmly at him and Arjuna bowed slightly.

“Tohsaka-san, I am pleased to meet you,” he said and Karna blinked as he felt something odd. Like… jealousy? Frowning at himself, he very firmly squashed that feeling. Arjuna did not belong to him and Rin wasn’t interested anyway.

“I’m pleased to meet you too but I’m ready to summon right away!” What, really? “The time difference might have put my clock off or maybe it’s just the Grail, but I can feel my mana surging.” Ah, exactly the way Karna had just before he’d summoned Arjuna. “Do you have the circle ready?”

“Yes indeed. Arjuna, if you can stand watch?” Karna asked and Arjuna bowed his head for a moment before dematerializing. He would be a vigilant protector now, monitoring the house for any sign of danger.

The summoning circle was in the garage and already glowing lightly. Everything in there was quite neat – Karna wasn’t working on machines much anymore – and Rin immediately set to work as Karna waited patiently. She chanted the words of the summoning, holding the necklace and specifically invoking the Archer class. Karna watched approvingly. If that didn’t bring them the man they wanted, nothing would.

Then the summoning was over. Karna _felt_ the surge of power and knew it had been successful. Yet, nothing filled the circle. What had just happened –

**_CRASH!_** Rin cursed Archer’s name, attributes and descendants unto the fifth generation before bolting back into the house. Karna’s mouth dropped open before he followed, feeling bewildered. What was happening…?

Bewilderment turned into shock as Karna took in the wreckage that had formerly been the den. A bookshelf on the ground, tables tossed around like toys, his – his statue of Surya was _shattered_ and there was Archer in the middle of the chaos, looking insufferably smug as he sat comfortably in what remained of the sofa.

“Are you my – ulp!” Karna did get the satisfaction of seeing Rin grabbing Archer by the coat and shaking him violently.

“Archer IDIOT! Look what you’ve done! I’m going to make you clean up every bit of this, just like last time!” Archer’s eyes were wide and Karna clearly saw the shock on his face. “How dare you! This isn’t even my house! BAKA!” Karna bent down, looking at the pieces of scattered bronze. Oh, it hadn’t been real bronze, some kind of pot metal core? That explained the damage. Karna sniffed, rubbing his eyes with one hand. He felt a bit stupid but that had been important to him, it really had. “You need to apologize to Emiya right now!”

“I, uh, what?” Archer sounded completely lost. Karna looked up, holding a piece of broken metal as Archer really looked at him for the first time. The way honey brown eyes widened, combined with Discernment of the Poor, told Karna that he had been recognized. Archer remembered everything.

“Rin, perhaps you should make your contract first,” Karna said with a forgiving smile, making peace with the loss of the statue. It was only a thing after all. His father was in the sky above. And if he kept telling himself that he might start to believe it.

“What? Oh! Yes, I am your Master and I accept your contract!” Karna was sure that wasn’t exactly how it was supposed to go but apparently, it worked well enough because Rin went back to shaking Archer. “Stupid! Stupid stupid stupid! Why didn’t you trust me?” Rin sniffled before abruptly hugging Archer. The man looked shocked and a touch stricken, as he gazed down at her black hair. “I’ve missed you so much,” Rin mumbled and Archer’s arms slowly went around her, holding her close. “I’m so sorry, I was so cruel to you, I didn’t understand.”

“Rin…” Archer’s voice sounded foggy with tears and Karna felt he was intruding on a private moment. Yet, he really couldn’t leave, Rin would need him. To distract himself he began gathering up the scattered pieces of the statuette. Ah, it could not be fixed. Karna sighed, looking around the room. Such an overwhelming cleanup job so late at night. “So you have summoned me again. Why?” Archer said as he finally let go of Rin. Rin pulled back a bit, perching on the sofa beside him. Karna was relieved to see it was the one thing relatively undamaged. “Surely you know better.”

“The Einzberns think they’ve purified the Grail. There’s a new war on,” Rin said calmly and the corner of Archer’s lips turned down in disgust. “If the Grail is purified, we’ll have a wish. If not, we’ll destroy it.” Archer looked away, his shoulders tense. Karna’s eyes dimmed as he again perceived that powerful self-loathing.

“Rin… have you forgotten what I did?” Archer’s voice was rough and unsteady. Rin touched his shoulder.

“Emiya-kun forgave you Archer. Karna forgave you,” she said softly and Archer suddenly went completely stiff. Karna registered the anguish before he abruptly rose to his feet.

“Forgive me? Emiya?” Archer’s laugh was full of such terrible bitterness. “I cannot forgive myself!” Karna bit his lip as Archer ran a hand through his hair before turning to meet Rin’s eyes. “I am Heroic Spirit Emiya!” …Wait, WHAT?!? “I sacrificed myself and I cannot forgive myself. I didn’t even try to find another way, I just went with what had the greatest chance of success and I knew what I was sending them to but I forced myself not to care – “

“Stop!” Karna was the one to intervene, catching Archer’s hands as he reached up to run a hand through his hair again. The agitated man turned towards him and Karna could see anger at the interruption in addition to his anguish. “I am Emiya Karna. I am what remains of those you betrayed, decanted into the body of an unactivated homunculus,” he said firmly and Archer’s eyes widened as he stopped, staring at Karna. Karna met his eyes evenly. “I forgive you for what you did and I am helping Rin with her quest to save you. But I warn you, if you betray Rin a second time I will not forgive you.” Karna meant that in every way. Archer had best not break Rin’s heart, or Karna would be firing up his divine lance. Mage circuits or no mage circuits.

“..I… I see.” Archer said slowly and Karna was pleased to see a bit of the tension in his body easing. Their eyes met and the anguish, the self-hate slowly bleeded away as Archer registered his sincerity. The hate wasn’t entirely gone though. Karna wondered if it ever would be. “I do not deserve your forgiveness but I thank you for it,” Archer said after a moment and Karna gave his hands a squeeze before letting go. Rin was standing now, watching the two of them.

“I had no idea you were Emiya but that just makes me more determined to save you. That’s going to be my wish, that you’ll remain by my side as my familiar,” Rin said and Karna suddenly wondered if she could give Archer a human life instead. Perhaps she was afraid to. Humans… died a lot, but familiars were more durable.

“It would be a good vacation I suppose,” Archer murmured and Karna blinked, wondering what that meant. Vacation from what? “What else do I need to know?” Ah yes.

“I have summoned Heroic Spirit Arjuna…” Karna quickly ran through the summoning and how an artifact that should only have summoned Karna had summoned Arjuna instead. “I haven’t told him my true nature and I don’t intend to.” Karna said firmly and Archer frowned at him.

“You are aware of how the Master-Servant bond works?” he said after a moment and Karna grimaced slightly. Yes, he knew. “Arjuna is going to begin dreaming of your past, just as you will dream of his. Do you think you can conceal it forever?”

“I’m not sure,” Karna admitted, feeling distressed at the thought. Yet… “There’s a chance. He won’t dream just of me, there will be Shirou’s past as well. And I do not think Arjuna will connect Karna’s past to the man he knew.” That thought made a great bitterness well up in Karna’s mind. Did Arjuna have any idea how his older brother had suffered? Could any pampered prince understand what it felt like, the quiet desperation, the urgent need to fill an empty stomach before the body gave way entirely? “I’ve told him I was the prior Master to Karna. I hope to blame anything too identifying on that.”

“That isn’t a bad plan. Since you would have experienced his memories, you can tell Arjuna that he’s bringing them back.” Rin said thoughtfully and Karna nodded. “While Shirou’s memories are your real ones.”

“This sounds like a house of cards that might fall over at any moment. But then, I suppose I’m not one to talk about that,” Archer observed, running a hand through his hair as he glanced over the wreckage of the room. “I suppose I’m cleaning this again, Miss Rin?”

“Not alone. I will help you,” Karna said and mentally summoned Arjuna. He materialized and his eyes widened at the mess. “Arjuna, this is Servant Archer, who apparently enjoys being summoned most dramatically.” Karna said, gesturing to the knight in red. “Can you please fetch the garbage can from the kitchen? I will get the broom and dustpan.”

“He should do it himself…” Rin complained but Karna would not hear of it. Working together would be must faster and it wasn’t really Archer’s fault he had been summoned to the wrong location. At least, Karna assumed it wasn’t. Hmm, maybe he shouldn’t make that assumption? Well, too late, he was helping now. Smiling, Karna set to work sweeping up the scattered pieces of the statue as Rin directed Archer and Arjuna in righting all the furniture. They said little to each other, which was likely just as well. Karna could already see Arjuna giving Archer measuring and mildly hostile glances. Internally, Karna sighed.

Given the personalities involved, sparks would fly sooner or later.


	7. Ice Cream and Dreams

Author’s Note: I’m modifying Karna’s history to better fit Fate Grand/Order. He was still adopted, but not until later in life. Also, I tried to research ancient India but it was rough going so I’m making stuff up.

* * *

 

_The little boy knew from a young age that he wasn’t like everyone else._

_It was his temper. All children had temper tantrums but his were terrifying to the point that several of the nannies hadn’t wanted to deal with him any longer, despite the prestige of being nurse to a Royal child. Finally his mother took care of him personally, which made his brothers envious. The little boy couldn’t understand why. That just made it hard to get his way._

_He always wanted things to be his way and wasn’t willing to tolerate it when they weren’t. His way was right. Other ways were wrong. Why didn’t people see that? It angered him that they just didn’t understand._

_One day, though, the little boy frightened himself. He had a dog and it wouldn’t listen, it kept trying to steal his food, so he hit it. But he was holding his fork and the tines got caught in the dog’s ear and it ripped. The boy watched in shock as the dog fled yipping and blood stained the ground and he… he… liked it?_

_The little boy was scared. He wasn’t supposed to like hurting things. And he felt so bad for the dog, so sorry. He dropped the fork and went to find it and when he did, took it to the kennels to have the ear healed. He was so sorry for what he’d done. So very sorry._

_From that day on, the little boy tried to control his tantrums. His mother was relieved and thought he was growing out of it but the little boy knew he wasn’t really. He still wanted to rage and scream but there was something… not right about it. Something frightening._

_Something he couldn’t set free._

* * *

 

The next day, they got down to serious business.

“Saber has already been summoned although I don’t know who his master is,” Rin said over the breakfast table and Karna nodded, his attention on the oat cakes. This was the third batch, his steamer would only hold so many. “It may be Andowyn.” Rin’s tone was glum and Arjuna arched an eyebrow.

“Who is this?” he asked and Karna didn’t bother to listen. Ah, this batch of cakes was done! Bringing them out he was distressed to see the earlier batches weren’t touched.

“Ah, eat everyone! Don’t wait for me, they are better hot!” Karna firmly set several cakes on Arjuna’s plate, letting everyone else serve themselves. Then he went to put the last batch on. Ah, he didn’t have to stare at them steaming, he could just put them on and take a seat.

“…What are these?” Archer asked after biting into one, looking at the cakes dubiously. Rin was also a bit confused by them. Karna smiled pleasantly.

“Oats idli. Oat cakes with a bit of spices. There’s onion chutney to go with them,” Karna said and Archer arched an eyebrow before shrugging and taking some chutney. Karna took some cakes for himself, making a mental note of the time.

“It’s different. I’ve never had anything like it for breakfast before,” Rin said and Karna thought she was trying to decide if she liked them. Arjuna was a bit surprised by the lukewarm reception the food was getting.

“These were a very common breakfast food when I was growing up,” he commented and Karna smiled happily. “Could I please have more?”

“Certainly!” Karna served him more of the oat cakes before pouring Arjuna some tea. Then she picked up her own oat cake and bit into it. Ah, fragrant and flavorful with spices and the onion chutney was a bit better than the tamarind sauce, piquant with the cake. Delicious.

Karna got out the last of the oat cakes and noticed, as he set them out, that Archer really didn’t seem to care for them. Well, he could make breakfast tomorrow then. Pleased with the thought, Karna listened to the strategizing.

“Assassin has been summoned but Caster, Berserker and Rider haven’t been yet.” Rin summarized and Karna frowned. Assassin… perhaps he should work at strengthening the bounded field around the Emiya household. “Until they’re summoned, the Grail War does not actually begin. Oh, Archer, you wouldn’t know… the Magus Association is actually trying to enforce some rules this time.”

“Rules? In a Grail War?” Karna rather agreed with Archer’s derision. Arjuna frowned at him, though.

“We are expected to follow the dharma’s of this contest,” Arjuna said, his tone chilly and Karna winced inside. Archer looked distinctly unimpressed and probably would have said something to annoy Arjuna, but Rin cut him off.

“It’s just a few rules. The War doesn’t begin until the last Servant is summoned and if a Servant is killed, the Master must retire immediately from the battlefield,” Rin summarized. “The whole idea is to keep down casualties. The Grail War has always claimed far too many promising young Magi.” That was too true and the founding families had suffered disproportionally.

“Hmph, I see. One simple rule, let’s see if anyone can follow it,” Archer said cynically and Karna shook her head, eating an oat cake.

“You doubt the honor of our opponents?” …Oh dear.

“Arjuna, Archer doesn’t doubt the honor of our opponents,” Karna said smoothly as Archer stared at Arjuna as if he was mentally deficient. “He’s absolutely certain it’s non-existent. This is a Grail War. Until they prove otherwise, assume you are facing honourless scum.” It was the safe way to bet.

“Yes! And that is why we will be honourless and cutthroat to them! Do unto others before they can do unto you!” Rin slapped the table with a brilliant smile. “Right Archer?”

“Exactly,” Archer agreed with a smile. “That’s the Master I know and love,” he said fondly and Rin went a little pink. Arjuna was watching them both with a trace of horror. “Is scouting allowed before the War technically begins?” he asked and Karna frowned, taking a sip of tea.

“It’s a grey area but we have no idea where Saber or Assassin might be. We could start just wandering around town and see if anything comes up,” Karna said, rather liking the idea. It was a very nice day, even if they didn’t find any trace of the rival Masters they could get some ice cream and enjoy a walk through a park or something. “We should all wear our street clothes,” he said firmly and Arjuna looked resigned to the necessity.

After they changed, though, Karna realized there was a problem.

“We don’t match at all,” Karna muttered, looking at Arjuna’s clothes. He was wearing a lavender dress shirt, the white and purple die and beige slacks. Karna’s costume, meanwhile, was bright red tights with a flowing red skirt and a midriff baring tank top of brilliant yellow. He was also wearing gold jewelry and her sun earring. Then Karna suddenly brightened as she remembered. “Oh, let me change, I’ll be right back!” Ignoring Rin’s questioning tone, Karna darted away. It would be perfect!

As he’d remembered, Karna had a little used yukata in the closet that was purple and white. The obi that went with it was sky blue. Quickly changing, he shuffled into silver sandals and pulled off his jewelry. It was replaced with a string of pearls. Karna pulled off the sun earring – while lovely, it conferred no special properties anymore – and replaced it with a silver moon. Smiling, Karna gazed at himself in the mirror for a moment. The special bra really helped. Oh, the makeup!

He had to remove the old makeup and apply new, shades of purple and blue. Just as he was finishing the mascara there was a sharp banging on the door.

“Karna! Everyone is waiting.” Archer sounded cross and Karna quietly panicked. He’d been going as fast as he could! Quickly putting away the mascara he darted out.

“Sorry, sorry! I’m ready now,” Karna said breathlessly and Archer blinked, staring at him oddly. “What?”

“You… nothing.” Karna blinked as he realized Archer had been thinking he was almost pretty. Almost. Sighing inside, Karna followed him to the front door. Archer gave him a thoughtful look as they stepped back into the den, where Arjuna and Rin were waiting. “Have you stuffed your bra?” Wait, WHAT? Karna reinforced his leg before kicking Archer in the shin. “OW!”

“It’s a prosthetic bra and you are not supposed to mention that!” Karna said sharply as Rin scowled blackly at Archer. Arjuna was looking at Karna very strangely but he had no attention for it, focused on the idiot beside her. “It’s incredibly rude!”

“That’s right! You should apologize!” Rin said, united in solidarity. Archer rubbed his leg with a scowl.

“I’m sorry for mentioning your tits are fake – OW!” Rin this time and Archer was almost trying to get into trouble, wasn’t he? Shaking his head, Karna went to Arjuna’s side. He smiled, his dark eyes amused.

“You look lovely,” he said gallantly and Karna smiled, wishing he could entirely believe it. “Please, let me escort you.” Arjuna offered his arm and Karna took it, blushing a little. This made him feel like a fine lady and, well. Really, he was anything but.

The rest of the day was completely unproductive but pleasant. It was a lovely summer day and the downtown of Fuyuki was bustling. They blended in… not that well, thanks to Karna and Archer, who both had dramatic coloring. But they really hadn’t expected anything else. As they wandered around town they tried to find any hint of bounded fields or other nonsense going up, but there was nothing.

“Not unexpected, with only four Servants currently in play and this new rule about not starting until everyone’s summoned,” Rin said as they paused to eat some ice cream. Karna smiled as Archer pulled himself up an ornamental wall to perch on the top and Rin quickly joined him, despite the ice cream in one hand. Hmm, should he do that? No, the yukata would make it hard and Arjuna preferred to just stand against the wall, licking his ice cream with a meditative expression. “I don’t expect anyone to break that rule, honestly. Too easy to get caught and fairly pointless.”

“Hmm, yes. So we intend to observe it ourselves?” Archer asked, sucking his ice cream to prevent it from dribbling. He’d gotten the sakura flavor and it was a very pretty pink. Karna had had that flavor before and thought it was quite good, particularly since it had cherry chunks sprinkled through it. Rin’s cone was the miso flavor, which really just tasted like salted butterscotch. Also very good.

“Since we can’t find anyone anyway, and we don’t need to drain people like Casters usually do, I suppose we shall,” Karna said before licking his cone. Mmm, pistachio, his favorite. Arjuna sighed softly and Karna glanced at him, easily seeing that he didn’t like this talk of breaking what he saw as the dharma’s of this war. Oh well, he could get over it. “What flavor did you get?” He’d missed it. Arjuna smiled, just a touch.

“Pistachio.” Oh! Karna felt a small blush touch his cheeks as their eyes met. Glancing back at Archer and Rin, Karna saw Archer’s knowing smirk. Rin was oblivious, caught up in her ice cream cone. Turning his head slightly so Arjuna wouldn’t see, Karna stuck out his tongue at Archer. Archer’s smirk turned into a delighted grin. _Hmph!_

“There’s a beautiful park not far from here. Perhaps we should go for a walk when we’re done our ice cream?” Karna suggested and everyone thought that was a good idea. Walking through the park by Arjuna’s side, Rin and Archer ahead of them… was it odd that Karna felt like he was on a double date? Odd or not, it was very pleasant to finally have some male companionship and Karna enjoyed it.

Instead of going home for supper, they stopped at a little restaurant that specialized in spaghetti and meatballs. Giant meatballs, easily the size of golf balls or larger and full of fragrant herbs. Soon their only concern was not getting sauce on themselves. A bit difficult, thanks to the long noodles but Karna managed it. He didn’t want to ruin this yukata, it really was gorgeous.

Archer and Rin gently teased each other through the meal and Karna could see the sexual attraction between them. When would they take the next step and use that adjoining door? Likely very soon. Rin had confided in him that one of her greatest regrets in the prior war was not giving Archer her virginity. Not a mistake she intended to repeat now. Karna felt a bit of sadness as he looked at his food. Heroic Spirit Karna had been far from virginal but Shirou had died before experiencing that pleasure. As for himself, in this new female body, well… it was hard. It was very hard.

“Karna?” A warm hand gently gripped his wrist and Karna blinked, called out of his sad reflections. Arjuna was looking at him with a bit of concern on his face.

“It’s fine. I was just thinking,” Karna said reassuringly. This was not a problem he’d ever share with Arjuna. It might seem like a request. Arjuna scanned his face for a moment before nodding but Karna didn’t think he was really convinced.

That ill feeling soon faded, though, and Karna was laughing at Rin’s and Archer’s banter. When the meal was done they left, feeling full of good food and good company. At home they all quickly retired, exhausted from the long but pleasant day. Karna removed his makeup before settling into bed, closing his eyes.

If he was lucky, he might not dream.

* * *

 

Arjuna lay in his bed, thinking about the days’ events.

As his Master had cautioned him, Archer was annoying, to say the least. Rin was, in Arjuna’s mind, not much better. Expecting those two to hold to any kind of combat code was ridiculous. If it weren’t for the fact that Karna was their loyal follower, Arjuna would be looking out for a knife in the back. Or rather, an arrow in the back.

_Karna._ Arjuna frowned, hating the sound of the name. It was awkward, that his Master shared a name with his older brother. It was even worse that they looked extremely alike. Arjuna could easily picture his brother and Master standing together, looking like father and daughter or brother and sister.

Yet, his Master was very different from the original Karna in so many ways. Despite receiving a Servant she did not want, his Master was trying very hard to make Arjuna comfortable. From the way Rin and Archer had reacted, Arjuna suspected that Karna had made those oatcakes particularly for him. It was thoughtful.

Karna was thoughtful in general. Her ruby eyes held the same all-seeing quality as his brother but instead of using it to wound she tried to be kind. She was charitable, but not mindlessly so. Her devotion to her best friend and determination to help Rin find happiness was both real and commendable. Oddly enough, it reminded Arjuna a bit of his brother’s devotion to Duryodhana. The thought made him grimace because, to his eyes, the objects of the devotion were equally unworthy. Although Rin’s quest for true love was at least not as damaging as Duryodhana’s quest to challenge the gods themselves.

Arjuna allowed his thoughts to linger on Karna’s appearance for a moment. She seemed to think herself unattractive but Arjuna thought that was insane. Karna was gorgeous in a way similar to the finest of dancers. Slender and muscular, she moved with any easy grace that was eye catching. Her neck, in particular, reminded him of a swan. He would like to touch it.

Shaking away that thought – it was not appropriate for a Servant to have such feelings for a Master – Arjuna turned his mind to the bond. He could feel Karna now, like a warmth in the back of his mind. And he was beginning to have dreams of her past. Yet, the dreams confused him greatly. There seemed to be two sets of them? Very distinct from each other. And while it was absurd, Arjuna couldn’t shake the masculine feeling the dreams gave him. It was as if Karna quite firmly believed she was a boy. Very strange.

The dreams did explain a bit about his Master, though. Arjuna had already experienced an unsettling degree of pain from those dreams. Misery and hunger in one, fire and death in another. Then there were the nightmares. Arjuna could not clearly recall them but they seemed to involve absolute darkness and pain. Also a taunting voice, but one he could not make out.

Suddenly, the image of Karna’s neck intruded in his thoughts.

_She does have a beautiful neck, doesn’t she?_ Arjuna’s breath came short as he tried to shut down that line of thought but he couldn’t, oh gods he couldn’t. _It would be so easy to touch it, to stroke it, to wrap our hands around it and squeeze –_

“Shut up. Shut up.” Arjuna said monotonously, pressing the heels of his hands to his forehead.

_Karna died too quickly. She would last so much longer._ Images, temptations flashed through his mind and while some were almost innocent – pressing Karna down and ravishing her – others were lined with blood and pain.

“Shut up!” Arjuna hissed at that hideous part of himself. He called it Black and sometimes pretended it was separate from him, but it wasn’t. Truly innocent things could arouse it, like a boiling pus he could never cleanse from his mind. Gritting his teeth, he repeated the words like a mantra as he concentrating on denying that part of himself.

Finally his mind settled and Arjuna was calm again. As he rested a hand on his forehead again, though, Arjuna thought of his Master with a soul deep regret. Soon, she would be dreaming of his past if she hadn’t already. Sooner or later, she would start to see him, something he utterly dreaded.

Arjuna hated being exposed to anyone but he found he particularly hated the thought of his lovely, innocent Master seeing the horror that lay in his soul.

* * *

 

_Why didn’t I notice that he was sick?_

_I wish I had noticed. I wish I had seen. Then I would have spent more time with him. I would have treasured every moment. I regret my childish obliviousness. But to me, he was everything in the world, the greatest hero to ever live. Heroes didn’t get sick. Heroes didn’t die…_

_That one day, though, he didn’t get out of bed. And even though part of me refused to believe it, I think part of me, the part that had seen my world be destroyed in flames, already knew._

_“I wanted to be a superhero when I was a child,” he said as I sat beside him, the moon shining on us both. He looked so tired yet there was such yearning in his voice. It confused me. He was already a hero in my eyes._

_“What? What do you mean by ‘wanted’? Did you give up?” The thought angered me. Never give up! He laughed but it ended on a cough._

_“Yes, unfortunately, being a hero is a time limited thing and it becomes hard to call yourself that when you grow up. I wish I’d found that out earlier.” I agreed with that because my Father said it. Father was never wrong._

_“I see. Then I guess it couldn’t be helped,” I said and he smiled at me, his dark eyes so tired._

_“Yeah. It really couldn’t be helped,” my father said and I replied, determined._

_“Yeah, it can’t be helped, so I’ll take your place. It’s impossible for you because you’re an adult but let me take on your dream.” I meant it. I really, really meant it. Did father understand that? I don’t think he really did or he would have told me not to. But how could he guess a little kid could really mean something like that? “I’ll make it come true.” Father laughed even before I was done, like he already knew what I would say._

_“Ah… then I am relieved,” he said before closing his eyes. And I knew. I knew… he wasn’t there anymore. My father had died._

_I didn’t cry. Maybe I didn’t cry because he looked so calm, so peaceful, like he might wake up the next morning. Or maybe I didn’t cry because I’d seen so much death. Instead, I gazed up at the moon beside my sleeping father._

_I would make his wish come true._

* * *

 

_I walked through the littered bodies, looking for food._

_The men were all dead, shot with arrows and crawling with flies. Just yesterday, they had been alive. I did not know why they’d come here or who had killed them but I did not mourn them at all. Just yesterday, one of them had kicked me aside and threatened to kill me if I came close again. Now they were dead. Perhaps it was karma._

_I was hoping no one had looted them but I saw I was too late. The bodies had been stripped. My shoulders sagging in disappointment, I walked towards the river. I might be able to find some food there._

_I was catching snails and prying them out of their shells with a twig when something bright caught my eye._

_“?” I picked up the thing in the water and marvelled at it. It was so bright! A gold circle emblazoned with the sun. An earring? Yes. My hands curled over it possessively. This was mine. Then the sun seemed to become brighter and I looked up into it. I was not blinded, even as the light seemed to surround me. “Father?” I whispered and somehow I knew. The sun was my father. This earring was for me._

**_Do not let them make you less than what you are._** _That thought, voice, command wrapped around my soul and became part of me. And I was overjoyed to finally have something of my own. **Become all that you can be.** That day I was given a purpose and I left the river feeling better than I had in my life._

_I would make my father’s wish come true._


	8. First Battle

_I always knew I had a bad temper._

_I grew out of wanting things to be just my own way, mostly. Mother could still tell horror stories about it, but I grew up and out of that. Yet, I still had a bad temper. I learned to control it, lock it down, but I always knew it was there. The force of it frightened me._

_I didn’t quite realize how bad it was, though, until it started talking to me._

_My brother, Bhima, had been getting up my nose all day. He was always the most aggressive of the five of us and today it was particularly bad. I couldn’t seem to get away from him. Finally I fled to the archery yard, even though I knew it was no good to practice with my mind like this. But I had to get away from him._

_“Oi, Arjuna!” I fired an arrow into the target. Concentrate. Ignore him. “Stop ignoring me!” …IGNORE HIM. “Come on, come on, it was just a joke!” Ignore. Him. “Stop being an arrogant brat!” …_

_My fury was wickedly powerful and my hands tightened on my bow. Images rose up in my mind. Turning around, the arrow still nocked. Letting go. Blood exploding and soaking the ground. He would look so surprised before he fell._

**_No one would ever know it wasn’t an accident._ ** _My breath came faster. I felt hot. I felt sick. I felt… excited? **It would be wonderful.**_

_I let my bow drop and the arrow dug into the ground. Then I pressed a hand to my face, Bhima’s voice seeming to come from far away._

_What was wrong with me that I would think of doing something like that to my own brother?_

* * *

 

_Ilya please stop._

_“Onii-san is so brave!” She’s smiling down at me. She looks so innocent and pretty and sweet. Her fingers run through my hair. “I thought you would be a crazy, stupid animal by now but look, you can still think!” Her fingertips gently stroke my cheek. “So brave to withstand so much pain.” If I could have I would have wept. But I had no tears now. I couldn’t even close my eyes. Then I heard a weird gurgling sound. “Oh, would you like to see your Servant?” Ilya giggled before gently turning my head._

_I didn’t have much breath left but I still managed to scream._

* * *

 

Karna shuffled to the breakfast table in a rumpled sleeping yukata, his eyes heavy and his brain feeling like it was stuffed full of cotton. Archer was there, chopping vegetables for breakfast. He stopped, though, as Karna walked in.

“Did you want to talk about it?” Archer said and Karna could easily pick up the powerful guilt in him, the desire for some kind of atonement. Sighing, he reached up to rub his face.

“Not really. There’s nothing that can be done,” Archer turned to look at him and Karna met his eyes before giving him a wan smile. “It’s usually not like this. The bond with Arjuna is bringing it back.” Karna knew why. It wasn’t just Arjuna’s face and body, the reminder of Berserker. It was Arjuna’s dreams, which seemed to centre around the horrible dichotomy of his loving life and the terrible thing that lived in the depths of his mind. Karna had already known it existed, of course. He’d known that in his past life and said as much to Arjuna. Thinking back on it, Karna deeply regretted those words. How senselessly cruel could he be? Karna reached up to rub his face again. “I wish there was a pill to stop me from dreaming.” Sleeping pills were a terrible idea though. He’d tried them before, when the wounds were fresh and they’d caused the dreams to become distorted and lingering.

“I… am sorry,” Archer said and Karna sensed how hard it was for him to say that. Ah, he had such strong pride. Shaking his head, Karna waved it away.

“There is nothing to be sorry for. You did what you had to do,” Karna said tranquilly. “And I am sorry too, for being so cruel to you, even though I did not know better.” Their eyes met again and Karna could sense the tension in Archer easing. His lips quirked into an amused smirk.

“I think you’re a fool to forgive so readily. But then, I always was quite a fool,” Archer said before turning back to the food and Karna snorted. He would know, wouldn’t he? Then Arjuna was joining them, beautifully coiffed as always. Karna squinted blearily, wondering if she could throw a piece of toast at him.

“You know, just materializing your clothing is cheating,” Karna complained mildly and Arjuna looked at him with a perfectly blank expression. It was mildly disconcerting.

“I apologize, Master. I have been disturbing your rest,” Arjuna’s voice was toneless and Karna swallowed at what he sensed behind it. Arjuna was… was…

“Stop. Please stop,” Karna said, shaken to the core by the self-loathing he sensed from Arjuna. It rivalled Archer’s worst moments. In fact, it might surpass them. “It was not your fault, I have had nightmares for a long time,” Karna lied easily, wanting more than anything to make Arjuna’s feelings go away. “Since the previous Grail War. You are not distressing me.” Arjuna nodded but as far as Karna could tell, his words had not made a dent in his brother’s feelings.

“Master. I will go watch the perimeter – “ Karna moved instantly and before Arjuna could dematerialized, his hand encircled Lancer’s wrist.

“No, don’t go. Have breakfast with us. Remind yourself of friends, family, who you truly are,” Karna murmured, meeting Arjuna’s eyes. _The shadow may be real but do not let it taint your life._ Arjuna’s eyes widened and Karna realized that he’d heard the thought. The bond between them was deepening to the point that they could communicate without words. Ah, that was so quick! It was almost frightening.

“Master,” Arjuna said in a low tone before his eyes slid towards Archer. Then he looked back at her before responding silently. _Do not look at me. I cannot bear for you to see._

_It is too late for that,_ Karna replied instantly, knowing the thought would ring of absolute truth. He knew Arjuna’s darkness so incredibly intimately, perhaps more than Arjuna did himself. He’d never set it free. _Do not be ashamed. It is the struggle against it that makes you beautiful._ Karna had tried to tell his brother that in life but Arjuna had shouted at him and it had all degenerated into a squall. Karna wanted to shake his head at the memory. His communication skills had been so poor! He could do so much better this time.

Archer coughed and Karna blinked before realizing he was staring into Arjuna’s eyes, almost pressed against him. Self-hatred and compassion were wiped away in fiery embarrassment as they parted. Karna felt his cheeks heating and could see Arjuna’s blush, despite his dark skin. Then Rin stepped into the kitchen with a bright smile and Karna realized she’d been watching from the doorway. Was there a convenient hole they could both crawl into?

“Ah, I will join you for breakfast, Master,” Arjuna said after a moment and Karna was glad the self-loathing was gone, at least. Although the squirm level embarrassment they were both suffering wasn’t a lot better.

Breakfast provided a fortunate distraction. Archer had prepared miso soup, tamagoyaki, rice and a nice big side dish of natto. The look on Arjuna’s face, when he tried the natto, was priceless.

“What IS this? Is it rotten?” Arjuna sounded utterly appalled, staring at the fermented beans and Karna could only smile at the nonplussed look on Archer’s face.

“It’s called natto and it’s fermented soybeans. So yes, technically, it is rotten,” Karna said easily and Arjuna looked revolted before firmly pushing it away. “They say it’s very healthy.”

“My nanny said that about the oil she forced on me too,” Arjuna muttered and Karna chuckled softly. He knew that oil although he’d only gotten to experience the joy of it later in life.

They all finished breakfast and Karna made a mental note to make oatcakes for Arjuna and himself tomorrow. He could do a small batch and Rin and Archer could make themselves something else. Then Karna went to get dressed. Today he wore simple blue jeans and a t-shirt, too tired to bother with dressing up. He did indulge in a bit of red eyeliner, though.

Arjuna and Archer went to search for any problems and very soon, they found something. A bounded field set up on the edge of town, it was in a very deserted location, surrounded by heavy woods. A clear invitation and a challenge. Should they take it? With both Lancer and Archer, they were confident. So all four of them ventured into the bounded field, looking for that caster.

He was not hard to find.

“Andowyn.” Rin sounded cold and composed but Karna could catch the anguish hidden beneath. She didn’t want to fight this man. Curious, Karna examined the magus thoughtfully. He was a tall man with tousled brown hair, stylish glasses and a handsome face. He was wearing a bright red coat with golden frogging and matching red slacks. Karna was extremely envious. Beside him was a young man with sandy hair, wearing a brown cloak over a simple outfit of white and grey. It looked… familiar…?

“Rin,” Andowyn returned courteously, looking at Rin with a calm expression. But Karna could see the desperate longing in his gaze. Oh dear. “I was hoping it wouldn’t be you but I suppose we should get this over with sooner than later.” His gaze slid to Karna, acknowledged her before moving to Arjuna. Andowyn’s eyes widened and Karna had a nasty feeling Arjuna had been identified just by being beside Karna. Damn!

“There are two of us to your single Servant. Do you think you can win?” Archer’s voice was calm and amused and when their eyes met, Karna could feel the tension crackling in the air. Andowyn’s gaze was not so calm, looking at the rival for Rin’s affections.

“I’ve summoned the most powerful Servant,” Andowyn said with absolute certainty and Karna blinked, looking at his Servant again. He was smiling at some private joke. There really was nothing that special looking about him though.

Wait. One. Moment.

“Arjuna,” Karna said, suddenly breathless with rage. “I absolutely forbid you to fight that man!” Arjuna looked at her in surprise, his eyes widening.

“Master?” he questioned, confused. Archer and Rin were looking at Karna was well. He was too outraged to care.

“You refused to fight Karna for being lesser in caste. This is an even worse offense!” Karna snapped and looked at Andowyn. He was confused but his Servant was smiling widely. “This is absurd to the point of idiocy and I will not allow my Servant to fight _Luke Skywalker!”_ Oh my god was that even? “Is that a lightsaber? That’s a lightsaber! You are MOCKING us!”

“Oh my god she’s right,” Archer murmured, stunned as he stared at Saber. “I didn’t see it, it’s been so long since I watched that movie…”

“Saber, what have you done?!” Andowyn suddenly grasped part if not all of what was happening. “I told you to take the appearance of a famous hero! What have you done?!?”

“He’s a hero and he’s famous. You didn’t say it couldn’t be fictional,” Saber’s voice was nothing like Luke Skywalker, however. It was deep and rich, reminding Karna of an oboe. It was a beautiful sound and he thought Saber could easily be an opera singer, if he weren’t some kind of hero. Andowyn, however, was turning red with anger.

“You’re dead. As soon as we finish this you’re dead!” Andowyn hissed and Saber just shrugged with a smile better suited to Han Solo than Luke Skywalker. “It doesn’t matter. Kill the Servants, Saber! I’ll handle these two.” Oh would he? Karna scowled before tracing his naginata.

“My Master has ordered me not to fight a mockery of a warrior,” Arjuna said coldly, eyeing Saber like a bug he’d found on the sole of his shoe. Saber smiled and pulled out his ‘lightsaber’. The blade activated with a flourish and Karna immediately noticed that it was not an authentic lightsaber. It glowed in a similar way but the edge was firm and she could make out a real shape to the weapon. Also, as he activated it the hilt shifted in appearance. It was now a piece of black metal, bound in black leather. The pommel held a large blue jewel.

“That’s a shame because if you don’t fight, you’ll die,” Saber said before abruptly vanishing. Karna’s eyes went wide as his sword clashed violently with Arjuna’s spear. He hadn’t even been able to see him move! Arjuna had no choice but to defend himself against a flurry of powerful and, to Karna’s eyes, skillful attacks. It was hard to even follow them, though, they were moving so quickly!

Archer was not standing idle. He attacked Saber with Arjuna and that began an elegant and deadly dance. Karna abandoned it in favor of the battle he could safely join.

Or so he thought.

“Karna, leave this to me!” Rin said before firing up her mage crest. “Gandr!” Karna stopped, stymied, but quickly understood what was happening as Rin and Andowyn began to duel. They weren’t trying to hurt each other, not really. They were fencing back and forth, trying to bring each other down with non-fatal attacks. But Karna’s lance was nothing of the sort. Grimacing, Karna left them to their mage duel and turned his attention back to Arjuna, Archer and Saber.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Karna tried to reinforce himself in a way he’d never done before. Increasing speed, perception, enough to truly take in the battle. When he opened his eyes, he was able to truly see their movements. It was a great strain and his head hurt, but Karna was taking in the full battle.

His experience with war, along with Discernment of the Poor, quickly led Karna to a surprising conclusion. Saber was not taking the battle seriously at all. ‘Luke’ was attacking Arjuna with frightening power but at the same time, he was gentling his attacks against Archer. Karna’s eyes narrowed as he followed the flow of the battle. Saber was pushing Archer right to his limits but not over them. Archer likely thought he was doing well but this was _deliberate._

Deciding to prove his theory, Karna leapt into the battle. With full reinforcement and the skill of Heroic Spirit Karna, he was at least equal to Assassin. His naginata clashed with Saber’s blade and not to Karna’s surprise, the strength and speed of his hit was mimicked in Saber’s counter-attack. Karna handled it, not easily, but with grace before leaping back.

“Master, don’t!” “Karna, stay out of this!” Arjuna’s and Archer’s voices almost harmonized but Karna ignored them, staring hard at Saber.

“You are not taking this seriously. Is this all a game to you?” he asked sternly and ‘Luke’ gave him that roguish smile again. “Hmph, you should be Han Solo!” Really, that would suit him better. Saber’s smile widened into a grin.

“Ah, lovely lady, if I’d been summoned into the class of Archer I would have. But Han Solo never used a sword,” he said and Karna had to admit he had a point, if you were being this daft to begin with. “But why do you say I’m not taking this seriously? Just because I went easy on you?” Ptth.

“You’re going easy on Archer as well,” Karna pointed out and ‘Luke’ looked surprised as Archer’s eyes widened. Ah, he hadn’t spotted it. “I suspect you’re going easy on Lancer as well.” Was Saber holding a bit of extra speed and skill in reserve? Karna had a bad feeling he was. Saber looked truly surprised for a moment.

“My Master was right about you. You read me like an open book!” Saber said in an admiring tone, flipping his sword down and seeming to devote his full attention to Karna. ‘Seeming’ because Karna was sure he’d be onto Archer and Arjuna in a split second if they attacked him. Which they might. Arjuna, in particular, was glaring blackly at Saber’s back and his grip on his lance was very tight. Ah, he was mortally offended by the thought that his opponent might be ‘going easy’ on him. “You’re absolutely right. This is nothing but a game to me and I answered the call of the Grail to play with powerful opponents,” he said easily and Karna swallowed at the utter lack of care in his voice. “I want – “ Saber’s eyes abruptly went wide and then he vanished.

“RIN!” Archer’s scream made Karna whirl and she heard an unearthly shriek just as Saber swept, not just Andowyn, but Rin out of the way of a wave of darkness?

Karna found it impossible to follow what happened next. He just knew that Saber erupted in blue light and was suddenly fighting with what _had_ to be his full strength against what seemed to be a darkened blur. And though it was fighting their enemy it was no friend of theirs. Archer barely reached Rin in time to sweep her up and leap away from another deadly flare of that darkness. Karna gasped, reaching up for his throat as he found it difficult to breath. What was this?

The blur of darkness suddenly stopped, resolving itself into a man. Shockingly pale, with golden hair and a tattered suit. He would have been attractive but Karna could see the mad bloodlust shining in his red eyes. _Berserker._

“Dracula,” Archer’s voice was breathy and uneven and Karna swallowed in shock. Was he serious?

“Oh. Shit,” ‘Luke’ said and the defiled version of Vlad III slowly smiled.

“I’m glad you appreciate the gravity of your situation,” he still sounded like an intelligent and elegant man, despite his class. That was… terrifying, actually. “Who are you? You actually equalled my speed.” Insane red eyes fixated on Saber but he just smiled, a cocky little smile.

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” he said before brandishing his sword. “Ready to take on the Force?” Vlad didn’t get the joke at all but he didn’t need to. The two warriors blurred again and Karna swallowed. Saber was terrifyingly fast and strong, to match this monster! Impacts of blows rang out like thunder and Karna was glad of the boundary field.

“Temporary truce while we kill that thing?” Andowyn asked Rin and she hesitated. Karna could easily read her thoughts. They could kill Andowyn and eliminate Saber now, who was easily as big a threat as Berserker. On the other hand, if they did that while Berserker and Saber were fighting Saber would certainly vanish instantly, done in by the mana drain. And if that happened, who would Berserker turn his rage on next?

“Truce,” Rin said decisively and Andowyn nodded, pulling himself up. “We need to try to find his Master. Arjuna, Archer, help Saber!” Good luck on that. “Archer, don’t you dare try to enter melee range!”

“I wasn’t even considering it,” Archer muttered as he manifested his bow. Arjuna hesitated a moment before gathering power in his lance. Karna was sure he planned to use the Anjalike astra. The Brahmashirsha astra would hit Saber as well as Berserker and that would be anathema to his sense of honor.

Karna, Rin and Andowyn retreated together to begin searching as Arjuna cast his lance. The flashing power of light caused a roar of pain and then Arjuna was being targeted by Dracula. Karna gasped as he felt all his mage circuits revving to maximum. Fortunately Arjuna had been storing his mana for days, husbanding it for just this event, but it was still a little shocking.

Unfortunately, they found nothing. Karna could only conclude that Vlad’s Master was safely away and had sent the vampire to do his or her dirty work. Utterly frustrated they returned to the battle to see it wasn’t going that well for their side. Archer was in terrible shape, one arm almost severed and his whole body scored with deep scratches. What had done that? Rin was by his side in a flash, healing the damage as Archer struggled to remain conscious. Karna watched the continuing battle, his eyes wide. Arjuna’s face was dripping with sweat as he struggled just to keep pace with Vlad III.

‘Luke Skywalker’, on the other hand, was mostly undamaged. He was still fighting with that incredible speed, blue sword impacting over and over again with Vlad’s claws. Then Dracula suddenly vanished in a cloud of mist? Arjuna danced back but the mist didn’t target him, surrounding Saber. Karna swallowed hard but then ‘Luke’ flashed out of the mist, completely unaffected. Vlad reformed in front of him and rather than attacking immediately, he seemed puzzled.

“What did you just do to me?” Saber asked, rubbing his neck. “It felt oddly arousing.” …Too much information! Vlad blinked before responding.

“I admired your beautiful skill and wanted to keep you with me forever, so I tried to suck your blood.” …That did explain it. “You… don’t seem to have any. Are you already dead?” Berserker asked and Karna glanced at Rin, meeting her eyes. Then they both glanced at Andowyn. He smiled at them… actually, it was more of a smirk. Karna was tempted to punch him. ‘Luke’ suddenly laughed. It was a deep, beautiful sound.

“Vlad the Impaler used bloodsucking. The attack was ineffective!” A pokemon reference? Karna grimaced, feeling a pain in his mage circuits as Arjuna took advantage of the moment to begin invoking the Brahmashirsha astra. Vlad suddenly looked at Arjuna and Karna saw an animal-like calculation on his face. Then Saber lifted his sword, aiming it at Vlad. Karna’s eyes widened as she felt a power thrumming through the air, focusing on Saber. Something similar to Arjuna’s Noble Phantasm?

Whatever it was, Dracula decided that facing two of it at once was a bad idea. Or perhaps his Master recalled him. Whatever the reason, the mad count suddenly vanished into the trees and Karna stayed frozen, trying to detect any sign of him. But he was gone.

“Shall we continue?” Arjuna said to Saber, who looked at him like he was mentally deficient.

“How about we not? How are you even talking with a broken jaw?” …What?! “Go get healed up, this has gone sideways. Master?” Saber called and Andowyn nodded, looking at Rin.

“I’m almost at my limit and Karna must be too.” …Actually, if it weren’t for all the mana Arjuna had stored up, Karna would be past his limit. Those reserves were gone now. Karna grimaced at the thought. “Your Archer is a mess. If we continue this, we’ll make ourselves easy meat for another Master. I suggest we take this up another day.”

“Very well,” Rin’s voice was cold and she glared at Andowyn. He met her gaze just as firmly and Karna wondered if he really thought this would impress her. Or would he wish on the Grail for Rin’s love? That seemed terribly wrong. “But next time, we’ll finish this.” Andowyn shook his head.

“I intend to observe the new rules. I only have to eliminate your Servant,” he said and Karna tensed as his gaze landed on Archer. Archer met his eyes, radiating quiet hostility and Andowyn’s lips tilted up in a small smile. “Later, Rin. Saber!” Saber dematerialized and then swept his Master up in his arms, vanishing into the night. Karna tracked them with his sensing before he was satisfied they were really gone. Then he went to Arjuna.

“How were you talking? Your jaw is broken in two places!” Karna said, awed but not entirely in a good way. Arjuna just held still, allowing Karna to run more mana through him, enhancing his natural recovery. “Rin, can you help me?” Rin was the one with true healing abilities. Rin said something quietly to Archer, who replied in an equally low tone. Then she was joining him in tending to Arjuna. He also had broken ribs and a very nasty stab wound in his side. That was troublesome but the bleeding had already stopped. “We’re lucky Andowyn pulled Saber back,” Karna breathed. As far as he’d been able to tell, Saber had taken almost no damage. Although he likely HAD almost killed Andowyn by draining his mana. Karna suddenly frowned. Who was Berserker’s Master and how were they managing such an insane Servant?

Deciding that was not his problem, Karna gently helped Karna as Rin helped Archer. His arm was firmly attached, now – thank the gods – but he was still a horrible mess. They were all going to need some quiet recovery time.

Hopefully, they would get it.


	9. Forgotten Dreams

At home, Karna went to work preparing lunch. As he did, he kept all his mage circuits at maximum. Arjuna was collecting the excess mana, storing as much as he could and using the rest for healing. As he made the food, Archer slowly and carefully made the tea. Karna glanced at him, seeing the fatigue on his face.

“I would say that, overall, today was a complete failure,” Rin summarized their experiences as Archer brought out the tea. Karna glanced over and saw Arjuna was staring at the table with a blank expression and a depressed air, his hands in his lap. “Andowyn guessed Arjuna’s identity instantly.” Ah, she’d seen that too. “Then Karna confirmed it by saying his name.” …Ooops. Karna cringed a little at that mistake.

“Sorry. I forgot,” Karna said repentantly. He was so used to calling Arjuna by name, it had just slipped out. Rin waved it away as Arjuna frowned.

“He already knew. And frankly, you have a problem with that. Everyone knows you summoned Karna in the last war and have a connection to India,” that was a graceful way to put it. “So I think everyone is going to easily spot Arjuna’s identity.” Damn. Rin was probably right. “Anyway, we’ve taken a lot of damage and learned absolutely nothing useful about Saber while learning rather too much about Berserker.”

“Mmm. I have some experience with that spirit,” Archer said as he poured the tea. Rin took a cup, holding it in her hands. “Unless his Master is incredibly strong, he or she will self-destruct. So unless he’s been summoned by the Einzberns, I feel we have little to fear.” Karna was inclined to agree with that. “Saber is the likelier long-term threat.”

“And we learned nothing about him!” Rin said gloomily as Karna brought out lunch. “Oh, sandwiches? What type are they?” Rin said, reviving a little at the sight of food.

“Reuben,” Karna said with a smile. He’d grilled them on the stove so the cheese was nice and melty and they were served with a pickle on the side. He placed the plates in front of everyone and they all tucked in with good appetite, Rin especially. Karna took a seat and began eating his own sandwich, feeling a bit famished. That had been a rough and exciting battle.

“We did learn some useful things about Saber,” Karna said and Rin and Archer gave him a skeptical look. Arjuna just seemed involved in his food but Karna was sure he was listening. “He is not taking the Grail War seriously at all. When I stood and observed your battle, I noticed that he was responding with the exact same level of force being used on him. It was especially noticeable with Archer, sorry,” Karna said hurriedly as Archer grimaced.

“It’s fine. I’m aware I’m not a Saber,” Archer said dryly and Karna blushed. Shaking his head, he continued.

“But judging from his battle with Vlad, he was doing the same thing to Arjuna.” Arjuna looked up from his sandwich and fixed Karna with a gaze of quiet animosity. Karna bit his lower lip. “I’m sorry,” he said gently and Arjuna blinked before looking away.

“She’s only telling the truth. But toying with a Lancer of Arjuna’s caliber is foolish,” Archer said and Rin nodded. That seemed to ease Arjuna a little. “He said he only came to the Grail’s summons to fight powerful opponents. I suspect he was telling the truth.”

“He has some kind of illusion ability and his choice of a false appearance would hint he’s a modern Heroic Spirit. But his class and strength would indicate the opposite. There are no modern Sabers and his level of strength was absurd,” Rin said, clearly thinking aloud. Karna had to slightly disagree.

“Dracula is a literary creation but because the very name is synonymous with vampire, he is granted great power,” Karna pointed out and Archer nodded as Arjuna just watched them, sipping his tea. “This could be something similar, a future spirit that will somehow become part of an overarching legend. What do you think?” Karna asked Arjuna. He was being oddly quiet. He slowly set down his cup of tea.

“I think I do not care to be toyed with,” Arjuna said and Karna could almost feel the weight of his rage. It was like utter destruction, carefully held back and chained and the force of it made Karna swallow. “And while it pains me, I agree that his full strength was only shown on Berserker. We must make plans for how to destroy him.”

“Mmm. But until Vlad’s Master comes apart, he’s an incredible menace. Not just to us, but the whole town,” Rin said with a frown. Karna blinked. He hadn’t thought of that.

“Is that not a matter for whoever is governing this contest?” Archer said sardonically and everyone looked at him. “What?”

“Your callousness is showing,” Karna said acerbically and Archer had the grace to look embarrassed. “However, I somewhat agree. We should not hunt Vlad ourselves unless the overseers from the Church and the Magus Association both call for it.” That would mean Dracula and his Master had truly transgressed, and there would be a truce among the other Servants as Vlad was eliminated.

“Mmm. Oh, we also learned that Saber apparently has no blood. Although that might only mean he was somehow resistant to Dracula’s attack,” Archer said before popping his pickle in his mouth. “Rin, make certain you reinforce the boundary field. Despite being Berserker, Vlad has a high ability Presence Concealment.” What?! Everyone looked at him and Archer shrugged. “I participated in a past… event… where he was summoned.”

“Do we even want to know?” Rin asked and Archer shook his head, his expression withdrawn. “Let me guess, the Presence Concealment is part of his legendary ability to slip in and out of places to sip the blood of maidens?”

“Precisely. Virgins call him particularly strongly,” Archer said mildly and Rin turned a little pink. Karna bit his lip. Technically, in this body he was a virgin.

“You are getting a slapping later, Archer,” Rin muttered and from the way Archer slowly smiled, his eyes warming with amusement, he was looking forward to it. Karna watched them wistfully, wishing he had someone like that in his life.

After lunch, Karna cleaned the dishes and put them away. As he did, he monitored his connection to Arjuna. To say he felt unhappy would be an understatement. Karna sighed to himself.

_My brother is not used to the taste of failure. He’s even less used to facing a superior force,_ Karna thought to himself. The fact that Saber had effectively taunted Arjuna with his inferiority would gall all the more. _What can I do?_ Perhaps… perhaps distract Arjuna with his own needs? Play the woman in need of reassurance? It wouldn’t even be a lie, Karna was not happy at all with the situation.

Finishing with the dishes, Karna went to look for Arjuna. He found him in the backyard, sending arrows into a makeshift target. Karna blinked, powerfully reminded of the dream he’d had the previous day. This was much the same situation, too.

“Arjuna,” Karna said his name and saw his shoulders tense. Moving on impulse, Karna hugged Arjuna from behind, resting his cheek against his brother’s shoulder. “Arrows fired in anger will not find the target,” Karna murmured and heard his breath hitch. “Let me help you find calm.”

“How can you do that?” Arjuna’s tone was as tense as his body. Karna closed his eyes, concentrating on the connection between them.

Karna pulled in the calm, the perfect serenity that was Heroic Spirit Karna’s hallmark. The ability to accept fate as it came, without remorse or regret. Then he shared it with Arjuna, opening his mind to his Servant. The onslaught of dark emotions hit him hard but Karna only oscillated a moment before finding mental balance. Then he shared his feelings with Arjuna.

Arjuna breathed slowly, the tension in his body slowly easing as they stood together. Karna nuzzled his shoulder, breathing in his scent. He smelled fresh and clean, like the scent of the air after rain. Ah, his father was Indra, the god of thunder. Was that why?

“This is how you feel, after such a battle?” Arjuna’s voice was unsteady and Karna sighed against the cloth of his white coat.

“Not entirely. I am deeply concerned about our chances against such powers,” Karna said honestly and felt Arjuna tense again. Karna nuzzled him again, giving him more serenity. “But there is no point in causing ourselves pain. Please Arjuna, this is harming no one but yourself,” Karna said as gently as he could. Arjuna shuddered softly and Karna felt the tension truly leaving him, like water from a jar. Arjuna’s hand found Karna’s wrist, encircling the white flesh.

“Thank you,” Arjuna whispered and Karna slowly let go. “Master, I…” Arjuna stopped talking and Karna blinked at him, drawing a blank.

“Arjuna?” Karna asked, mildly confused. Sensing through the link found embarrassment? Arjuna shook his head before turning around.

“Would you perhaps like to spar with me, lance against lance?” Arjuna asked and Karna considered it a moment before smiling.

“I would like that.” It might do them good to burn off some energy, without any temper behind it. Arjuna was not fully healed but the odds that Karna could do him any harm were still miniscule. Although even as he summoned his spear, Karna wondered.

What had that flash of embarrassment been about?

* * *

 

_The dream was strange._

_Karna sat up in his bed, feeling the wind on his skin. Filmy red draperies, with bright yellow tassels, moved gently in the wind. Karna tugged down his single sheet, a matching red, cotton blanket, and slid out of bed. It was hot so he’d… she’d?... gone to bed wearing only a soft little white slip. It drifted easily around his/her limbs as he/she climbed out the window._

_Landing easily in the grass, Karna walked into the gardens. The Emiya house had a bit of land around it but Karna had never done much with it aside from keeping it mowed. There were trees though and beneath one of them was an intriguing vision. A handsome man with skin nearly as white as Karna’s and golden hair. And red eyes. Beautiful, ruby red eyes._

_Karna recognized him of course and knew he should be alarmed but couldn’t find it. And the sense of his/her gender was blurring. Although why he always thought of himself as a man was an open question. Perhaps he should just surrender to his/her body? Even as he mused on that, though, Karna’s feet were taking him closer._

_“You are very beautiful,” the voice was as seductive as the rest of him and Karna sighed as a hand cupped his/her face. He nuzzled that hand, feeling warm and contented. “Still untouched. Your innocence calls to me,” yet, that was not entirely the truth. Karna read it in the depths of those ruby eyes._

_“You don’t want to do this,” Karna murmured and felt Dracula pause, confused. “You don’t want to be like this. You hate yourself so much.” Self-hatred seemed an epidemic. Karna felt deep, deep sorrow at the thought. Vlad stared at her/him, stunned, and Karna raised a hand to gently caress his face. “By the grace of my father, the sun above our heads, be who you truly are.”_

_Ruby eyes shifted to brown and the man made a sound of raw anguish before he sank to his knees. Karna sank to his/her knees in front of him, holding him as he wept like a child. So tragic, that such a brilliant soul was tainted with such darkness._

_“You have brought me back. How?” he said into her ear but Karna could only shake her head. She didn’t know. “This is only temporary. Already, I feel the darkness pressing on me.” Yes, it was like an overwhelming weight. Karna could not lift it, not for long. “But thank you. Thank you for this moment of clarity. You are truly a remarkable woman,” he said before cupping her cheek again and bringing their lips together. Karna surrendered to the kiss, innocent yet full of such passion. This was how he/she dreamed of being kissed. “Return to your bed,” he murmured in her ear and she obediently stood before walking away. Climbing back through the window was easily enough and then Karna settled back into bed._

_She/he would not remember this dream._

* * *

 

_I was adopted like a stray puppy and treated much the same._

_To me it was wonderful. There was plenty of food and while I had to fight the other boys for it, it wasn’t hard. Adults gave me absentminded pats on the head when I was doing well, cuffs when I was not. My new father trained me with the other boys, all orphans like myself, to drive the chariots. I was so happy to learn._

_I wanted to learn everything. With my real father’s command ringing in my soul and plenty of food in my belly, I tried to learn everything. I tried to observe and speak to everyone, even though I was often cuffed and told to go away. I learned so many things! I learned how to fix a bucket, how to clean practically anything, how to repair my clothes. (although later my wife would tell me I was terrible and forbid me to touch the mending) I learned everything._

_But there was still so much to learn so when I was a teenager, thin and wiry and still thirsty for knowledge, I gathered my meager possessions and left my adopted family to seek out someone who could train me further. I knew I could be more than a charioteer and that meant I had to be._

_I would learn the ways of the Brahmin._

* * *

 

_I came to the archery contest with a light heart._

_No one paid attention to me at first, except for my coloring and then they called me a ghost. I didn’t mind, looking around alertly as I waited for my turn._

_As I did I saw the most remarkable sight. A slim man with thick, lustrous black hair. He moved with a beautiful grace and my eyes widened as I saw him fire arrow after arrow. He was striking, gorgeous. For the very first time in my life I felt a flush of desire. Perhaps it was wrong to feel that way about another man but I did not care. I wanted him to notice me._

_I took my turn and there were gasps and exclamations as I displayed my skill, the hard-won ability. I felt such pride, smiling as I heard voices wondering who I was, where I had come from. Then I looked to see if that handsome man was watching._

_To my surprise and unhappiness, he was looking away. I had to change that! Without thinking I stepped brazenly in front of him._

_“Would you match your skill against mine?” I asked, aware as I did that I did not know his name. He stared at me in shock and disgust? My heart sank as I saw in his expression that he found my offer repugnant._

_“How dare you, son of a charioteer?” I did not recoil – I was stronger than that – but I felt my eyes widen. “Do you know who I am?” …Well… no? “You must be a Kshatriya to challenge me!” Oh._

_“I only meant a friendly display – “ I tried to explain. But they didn’t understand. The big man beside the one I wanted started in on me, calling me a stray dog for my mixed caste and unknown lineage. It stung me because I vividly remembered fighting dogs for scraps once. But did that mean I should hold my head in shame? “I have fought to get where I am!” Yet, that meant nothing to them. I was not Kshatriya. I was not worthy. I wished I had never come to the contest._

_“Enough!” A hand suddenly clapped me on the back and I turned my head, eyes wide as I looked into the face of a swarthy man. He grinned and I saw one of his teeth was gold. “Your skill is without question. Karna, I give you the Kingdom of Agna!” I, what? My eyes went wide at the incredible offer. That would make me Kshatriya!_

_“Thank you,” I said, overwhelmed by the generosity. “Please, how may I repay you?”_

_“I only want your friendship,” he said with a smile and my heart melted even though I sensed something of a lie to it. He wanted more from me than my friendship. Yet, that didn’t really matter. Everyone in my life wanted something from me, after all. “Please, come with me. I would know you better.” I found myself escorted away and as we walked I glanced over my shoulder. My heart sank as I saw the handsome man staring at me with well-concealed rage in his eyes. That… was not how I wanted him to look at me. And as we walked away, something else occurred me._

_I didn’t even know his name._

* * *

 

The next day, Karna rose before anyone else was out of bed. He donned simple yukata of grey and brown cotton, fluffing his hair a little. Padding through the darkened house, he went to the front door and gently summoned Arjuna. His Servant appeared beside him, questioning and concerned.

“I want to go to the grocery store. It will be opening in…” Karna checked the clock. “Ten minutes. I can walk there but could you please come with me, dematerialized?”

“As you wish,” Arjuna said tonelessly and Karna was puzzled by the tone. Deciding to ignore it, he picked up a fabric grocery bag and walked out the door. It was a short walk to the grocery store, twenty minutes at the most. Hm. Perhaps this would be a good time to test his bond with his Servant?

_We need eggs you see. Also more bread and butter._ Karna pulled out his list. He’d actually remembered it. Usually he was masterful at making lists and leaving them on the kitchen table. _Dental floss and butcher’s twine._ He needed the twine for a roast. There was a recipe he had in mind, for stuffed and roasted leg of lamb.

_Master, why should I care about this?_ Arjuna’s empty yet irritated tone made Karna smile in amusement.

_You shouldn’t but I wanted to test our connection. You hear me now?_ That was excellent!

_Oh. Yes, I hear you,_ Arjuna said but he sounded preoccupied. Wondering what was eating him – Karna hadn’t had a dream last night, had he? He couldn’t remember – Karna continued walking to the grocery store.

At the store, Karna made his purchases, putting them away into the bag before walking back home. Nothing the least bit interesting happened, which was just as well. Karna really didn’t want to fight before breakfast. Breakfast was something he absolutely hated to skip. Hunger was not something he enjoyed…

Shaking away ancient memories of deprivation, Karna stepped inside. Arjuna materialized as soon as they were indoors and Karna paused beside him.

“Thank you for watching over me,” Karna said graciously and Arjuna gave him a small smile. Yet, it seemed forced and wooden.

“It is nothing,” he said and Karna stared at him, puzzled. There was no hint about what was bothering him. For a brief moment, Karna considered asking but then Arjuna brushed past him, going to his own room. Karna watched him go, perplexed. Something was wrong but what?

“Such a moody Prince,” Karna murmured as he carried the groceries to the kitchen. Putting them away, he tried to remember his dreams. All he could recall was a vague feeling of movement and red eyes. Well, that meant nothing at all, it was likely a dream of Ilya. Shuddering a little at the thought Karna began breakfast. Breakfast today was omelette sandwiches, full of cheese. Archer walked into the kitchen as Karna was cracking the eggs.

“What are you making?” he asked and Karna gave him a small smile.

“Omelette sandwiches. Could you get some frozen mixed vegetables and heat them in the microwave?” Karna asked and Archer grimaced. Karna continued, unperturbed. “There is nothing wrong with mixed vegetables and the microwave is the best way to unthaw them.”

“Hmph, I would say there’s plenty wrong with them… but it’s mostly the water content. I suppose that matters less for an omelette,” Archer said as he got the vegetables. Karna nodded, adding pepper flakes, turmeric, coriander leaves and a bit of chaat masala. Then he beat the eggs vigorously before adding a bit of heavy cream. Ah, this would be delicious.

The unthawed vegetables went in as well and then Karna added the mix to a pan, with the butter. Archer buttered the bread and grated the cheese, without even asking. Karna layered the omelette into the bread, added the cheese and then toasted the sandwiches to brown the bread and melt the cheese. As it cooked, he licked his lips. This would be delicious!

Rin came into the kitchen, looking bright and chipper, just as Karna was plating all the sandwiches. Arjuna, however, was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is Arjuna? Archer, can you make the tea while I find him?” Karna trusted Archer to make tea, he was masterful at it. Hardly waiting for an affirmative, Karna went to Arjuna’s room. He found the Servant there, sitting on the floor and meditating. Ah, had he lost track of time? That was easy to do in deep meditation.

“Arjuna?” Karna said and Arjuna opened his eyes, looking at Karna with dark eyes, hazed with desire? It vanished almost immediately but Karna was almost speechless. He hadn’t imagined that look. “I, uh, breakfast is ready,” Karna said, managing to collect himself. Arjuna nodded.

“Thank you, I appreciate your telling me,” he said politely before pushing himself up. Karna stepped back and he left the room, walking towards the kitchen. Following behind Arjuna, Karna still felt a little stunned. The only thing he knew was a very simple revelation.

Despite Discernment of the Poor, Karna did not understand Arjuna at all.


	10. Lunchtime Conversations

As Karna walked to the grocery store, Arjuna watched over her in spiritual form and quietly brooded.

The dreams she was giving him were odd to the point of bizarre. Arjuna was having a difficult time making sense of them. The latest dream, in particular, was extremely unsettling.

_Karna._ Arjuna remembered his brother at the archery competition. So arrogantly coming up to challenge him, a no named charioteer challenging a prince! Now he’d seen it from the other side and Arjuna was almost speechless. _He didn’t even know my name?_ What kind of an idiot issued a challenge without first ascertaining the caste and identity of the one being challenged? And his brother had thought he was beautiful? Arjuna wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or throw up at the thought.

Arjuna was tempted to dismiss those dreams as a figment of his Master’s imagination, but he couldn’t. There was no way she could know what his brothers looked like. The dream had depicted them perfectly, and Duryodhana as well. There could be no doubt that this was a genuine dream of his brother’s past, but how?

Then Arjuna remembered. His Master had summoned Karna in the previous Grail War. She must have absorbed his memories at that time and they were coming out in her dreams. Hmm… but that meant the other dreams, the ones of a ghostly boy in India, had to be Karna was well. Arjuna found that deeply unsettling, although he preferred it to thinking his Master had suffered such hardship.

That meant the other set of dreams, the one of a child and his – her? – father had to be his Master’s past. A great fire had wiped away her family, leaving her an orphan and she had been adopted by a man who proved to be very sick. He had died but left her with the family home and presumably enough money to buy the restaurant, after she graduated. Arjuna remembered dreams of helping out around the school, cleaning and fixing things out for no reason but charity. Ah, it made sense that such a person would summon his brother.

That thought left a foul taste in Arjuna’s mouth because he did not want to imagine his Master and his brother fighting together. This was… his place. Not his brothers’. When they returned home, Arjuna went to his room to meditate on it, hoping to find serenity and clarity.

As he meditated, peace came and with it, reflection.

_Why does it bother me to imagine Karna with my Master?_ They would seem so right together. Arjuna could easily picture them standing side by side, Karna radiating pure ferocity and the female Karna wearing a sari, her red eyes calm yet resolved. And yet… _That is my place._ It did not seem right that Karna should be standing beside anyone but him.

As Arjuna meditated, he realized the reason for that reaction. He desired her. It was as simple as that. Karna was a beautiful and intriguing woman. But did Arjuna want to act on that? There were difficulties. The first was the length of time he had available. Grail Wars typically concluded within a month. It wasn’t much time to court a woman. It wasn’t much time to be with a woman and Arjuna felt a great sadness at the thought. And yet, he’d been given a brief chance at life. Should he not grasp what he could while he was here?

Then Karna was in the doorway and Arjuna could not help but gaze at her with longing for a moment. The simple brown and grey yukata she was wearing made her look almost like a doll, delicate and graceful. Arjuna quickly shook the feeling away and accepted her invitation to breakfast.

If Arjuna was going to act on his attraction, he would have to think further about what he should do.

* * *

 

Later the same day.

Karna frowned to himself as he walked down the street, Arjuna following along in an incorporeal state.

“This is so difficult,” Karna muttered, cursing the renovators. They were supposed to be able to handle the Curry house without him. But now they’d had to make some substitutions and Karna had to approve the changes.

_Master, we are being followed,_ Arjuna said and Karna’s day got just a little more wonderful. Tensing slightly, he readied himself to trace his naginata. _It’s the boy, Naoya._ What?!?

“Are you joking?” Karna breathed. He couldn’t sense the child because Naoya had no spiritual pressure whatsoever. “…Just let him follow for now.” Perhaps Naoya had some business at the Curry house. It seemed unlikely but you never knew.

_Yes Master._ Arjuna’s reply felt accepting and Karna thought he felt this was the course of wisdom. It was hard to see how they could shoo Naoya away without causing a scene. And even if they succeeded in getting rid of him it might fixate the teenager’s attentions on Karna more firmly.

They arrived at the Curry House and as Karna went over the proposed changes with the foreman, he worried at the problem in the back of his mind. This was the worst possible timing for Karna to pick up a teenager stalker. Any Master with a shred of honor would leave him alone, but some of them wouldn’t have a shred of honor. Worse yet, targeting the family of a Master was not actually against the rules and Naoya could be loosely interpreted as Karna’s family, particularly if he kept sticking his nose in. Then there was the danger the boy would see something he shouldn’t and be put down by a magus following the rules. All the possible dangers made Karna’s head hurt. He had to get rid of Naoya, but how?

“Arjuna… no,” Karna mumbled and felt more than heard Arjuna’s soft sigh. Then his Servant spoke.

_I will meet you outside Master, and escort you in a very flamboyant manner. Perhaps seeing that you definitely have another interest, one he cannot compete with, will deter him._ Cannot compete with?

_I’m afraid you underestimate the density of a lovestruck fourteen year old boy,_ Karna thought in amusement. Even if Naoya knew Arjuna was a prince, would he care? Probably not. _But it is definitely worth a try. I’ll tell you when I’m leaving._

From there, it went without a hitch. Arjuna materialized in a nearby alleyway and met Karna in front of the shop, offering him an arm with a smile. Karna took it with an amused smile, rather enjoying the moment, even if it was for Naoya’s benefit. Arjuna was in his full Servant costume and looked marvellously striking. If Naoya had the brains of a goldfish, he would realize he was outclassed in this battle.

_He is glaring at us. I do not think it’s working,_ Arjuna’s thought was layered with amusement and Karna couldn’t really fault him, despite the serious nature of the problem. It WAS absurd.

_Idiot boy. I’ll ask Rin what she can do._ Although they couldn’t delete Karna from Naoya’s memory so it was hard to say.

The way home from the Curry House took them past several other little restaurants and café’s. At one of them, to Karna’s shock, a young schoolgirl flung open a door before galloping out and latching onto Arjuna’s free arm.

“Oh it’s you! It’s you! Please, you must come to lunch with us!” Her blue eyes were very large in a thin face and her hair was an appealingly disheveled mop of brown hair, topped with a plaid bow. She was wearing a tight black shirt, showing off her budding cleavage, and a plaid skirt with black tights that led to thigh high leather boots. She couldn’t be older than sixteen and Karna had never seen her before in his life.

“I’m sorry, I believe you have mistaken me for someone else,” Arjuna said, a chill in his voice as he tried to shake her off. She hung on easily.

“Oh but I haven’t! Please Lancer, please come join us!” Karna felt Arjuna freeze and his own eyes widened. Lancer?

“Saber, why in hell did you – oh.” Andowyn stood in the doorway of the shop and Karna absently noted that he was dressed down. Blue jeans and a rather tatty white t-shirt, with the red and gold jacket overtop. Still quite beautiful, but unfastened and more casual. Karna could really see the appeal, he was a handsome man.

“Please, come for lunch! My Master will pay for everything, won’t he?” Saber said and Karna could tell Arjuna was aching to punch her. Karna gently restrained him before giving the other Servant a gentle smile.

“That would be much appreciated, if you don’t mind?” Karna said to Andowyn, who looked at them like they were insane. Arjuna was hiding his reaction well, but Karna could tell he was taken aback by her ready acceptance.

“…Sure, why not,” Andowyn finally said, reaching up to rub his forehead as if he had a headache. Saber squealed and bounced before dragging Arjuna after her. Karna followed, amused and most interested.

_Karna?_ Arjuna questioned and as they took a seat in a booth towards the back, Karna gave him a quick explanation.

_The surest way to betray yourself is simply to talk._ A lesson Karna had learned when alive. _This is an opportunity to learn more about Saber. And since they already know your identity, we have nothing to betray._ There was no way for this to go wrong for Karna and Arjuna. Andowyn and Saber, on the other hand, had plenty of ways to misstep. As they took a seat and Arjuna mulled it over, Karna glanced around curiously. He’d never been to this particular shop before. It was all wood, with light blue cushions. There was a fireplace in the corner of the room. On looking at the menu, Karna realized the café had a Swiss theme. How interesting!

“Now we have three so we can get the fondue!” Saber clapped ‘her’ hands together and Karna couldn’t hold back a smile. The menu said the minimum for fondue was three.

“As long as it’s the cheese fondue. I love cheese,” Karna said, his mouth watering a little at the thought. Fondue was something he’d never made. Hmm, perhaps he should look into that?

“You three can have it. I just want a salad,” Andowyn said and Karna looked at him with Discernment of the Poor. It was easy enough to see what was troubling him, Karna had seen Rin in this state several times.

“You’ve badly overstressed your mage circuits. You need to eat,” Karna said gently and Andowyn stiffened slightly. “I know you have no appetite but failing to eat will make the recovery take longer.” Arjuna and Saber both gave her surprised looks but Karna ignored it, just gazing at Andowyn with gentle concern. His face softened a bit before he sighed.

“I know you’re right but I really can’t stomach cheese right now, it’s too rich. I’ll get the shrimp salad, you three can get the fondue,” Andowyn said and Karna frowned. Shrimp wasn’t filling. “I’ll nibble on some of it if I can.”

“As you will,” Karna acquiesced. It wasn’t his place to mother a rival Master in the War, after all. Karna made a mental note to report Andowyn’s distress to Rin. He’d hidden it well during the actual battle but supporting Saber at maximum power was obviously a huge strain. Then a waitress, dressed in a frilly white apron, came to take their order. Saber placed it for everyone, adding a bottle of white wine. Andowyn requested chamomile tea. Another sign of how much his stomach was bothering him.

There wasn’t a silence because as Karna had hoped, Saber just had to fill it.

“Do you like my boots?” Saber stretched out a foot towards her and Karna glanced down. The leather did look extremely supple and the boots had large pearls on the heel, a golden zipper and a red ribbon on the front. From the ribbon hung a monogram. Two G’s? Karna hoped that had some meaning. “It’s Gucci! I mean, not really, that would be silly but it’s a faithful reproduction!”

“Oh. That monogram is the Gucci label?” Karna asked, concealing his disappointment. Saber dimpled.

“Exactly! By the way, I love your dress. You are absolutely gorgeous,” Saber complimented him and Karna could sense no falsehood. “That’s a sari isn’t it? I’m not very familiar with the cultures that wear that.”

“Saber…” Andowyn’s voice was a complaining growl but Saber turned a brilliant smile on him.

“Andy, don’t be a grouch!” From the look on his face, Andowyn didn’t appreciate that nickname. Karna was finding this valuable already, there was clearly some trouble between Master and Servant here. “So I’m told you’re Arjuna from the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic. I googled it and my gosh it was a read! I’m guessing you have a scorched earth type – “ Saber stopped abruptly as the waitress brought them the tea and wine. She poured the wine for them, allowing Andowyn to try it first and he smiled, saying it was fine. Then she took their order, fondue for three and a shrimp salad. As soon as she walked away, Saber started without pause. “Scorched earth type noble phantasm with a wide area. Correct?”

“…Correct.” Arjuna said in a rather cold tone and Karna sighed internally. Saber squealed and clapped her hands together.

“Omigosh cool! I’ve got something similar! We’ll have to show each other sometime!” …Gah. Andowyn shook his head.

“Saber. That is the only power you can reveal to them,” Andowyn said firmly and Saber pouted but nodded. Then he looked at her and Karna met his eyes. They were dark and serious. “That power is of limited use because Saber has an exaggerated sense of fair play. He won’t use it on an unworthy opponent unless I use a command seal and then he’s sworn to – “

“Go passive aggressive on your arse,” Saber completed happily and Andowyn sighed. “But don’t worry Master! I have solemnly sworn to help you fuck up ALL the bitches!” Karna blinked and heard Arjuna choke, softly. “We will tea bag everyone!”

“Saber! Tea bagging is absolutely forbidden,” Andowyn growled and Saber looked downcast. “I keep telling you it’s impossible anyway, Servants vanish after they die.”

_Master, what does tea bagging mean?_  Arjuna asked and Karna didn’t have a clue. Fishing in his purse, he found his cell phone and turned it on, googling the term. Simple English Wikipedia? Wait… what…

“You want to defile our corpses?” Karna asked, cushioned by disbelief. Arjuna’s eyes widened and she handed him the cell phone. As he read the definition, his brows went down and his lips tightened.

“Hey, it’s traditional! It’s – oh, food!” The fondue was ready and it looked delicious. Despite the rather disgusting topic, Karna still had an appetite and took one of the skewers readily. Conversation went by the wayside as they sampled the melted cheese, dipping little pieces of bread and meat in it. Mmm, it was good. Arjuna was surprised but pleased by the taste and Saber seemed to be in heaven, half-closing her eyes in delight. As he ate, though, Karna was still thinking. Traditional?

_Tea bagging in popular culture,_ Karna tapped into his cell phone as he drank some wine. One particular line immediately caught his attention. _Although considered to be bad sportsmanship, its use has become widespread in video game culture._ Now that was interesting. The Grail War had just started, it was too soon for Saber to have been inducted into video game culture. Karna went back to the fondue, certain they had confirmed that Saber was a future spirit.

“How is Rin doing?” Andowyn asked as he picked at his food. He really wasn’t feeling well and Karna frowned at the sight.

“Eat the shrimp at least… and she is doing well. She is very happy to have her Archer returned to her,” Karna said and saw anguish flash through Andowyn’s eyes. Karna gentled his tone. “Can you not be happy for her?” Their eyes met before Andowyn looked away.

“…I don’t know what I’m doing this for anymore,” he said in a low tone and Karna’s heart went out to him. Karna could see Andowyn really had loved Rin. The emotion was fraying now, leaving behind desolation and doubt. “I thought I could prove to her but… seeing them together… how can I compete with that?” Karna would have smiled if the situation wasn’t so serious. Archer’s appearance was making Andowyn feel inferior? Amusing.

“His appearance is only part of what Rin loves about him,” Karna said calmly and Andowyn sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Here, try a bit of the bread.” Bread could be easy on the stomach. Andowyn took a piece, without any of the cheese, and ate slowly.

“Right, buck up Master! You’ll find someone someday!” Saber said encouragingly but Andowyn didn’t even glance in her direction.

“What would you know about it?” he asked in a dull tone and Saber stopped with a piece of bread almost to her mouth, frowning at her Master.

“Master, I am hurt. I am really, truly hurt by that,” Saber said and Karna could tell she really was hurt and offended by Andowyn’s remark.

“Oh really? You’re capable of that?” Andowyn said, fishing another piece of shrimp out of his salad. Saber’s eyes narrowed and Karna felt Arjuna go still beside him as an air of sheer pissiness rose from the other Servant.

“Yes, actually, I am.” Saber’s tone was chilly but Andowyn didn’t seem to feel her cold stare, gazing into his food with a morose air. Saber stared at him for a moment longer before huffing and eating her fondue. She tugged at it with her teeth in a parody of aggressiveness that would have made Karna smile, if not for the temper behind it.

“Well, you’ve pumped us for enough information. How is your Servant-Master bond forming?” Karna froze at the question, suddenly realizing he’d made a mistake. “Considering the difficulties.” Andowyn looked at Arjuna and Karna’s mouth went dry. Arjuna frowned at him.

“You think I would be so petty as to hold her name against her?” Arjuna asked and Andowyn blinked, suddenly taken aback. Saber’s eating slowed for a moment before resuming with a bit too much gusto.

“I… suppose not,” he murmured before glancing at Karna. “I suppose it’s not my business.” Oh thank the gods. Karna breathed a little easier and quickly changed the subject.

“Where did you get that lovely coat? It’s beautiful,” Karna said sincerely. He thought it was adorable and wanted one just like it! Andowyn looked surprised, then a bit apologetic.

“Oh… the Tuppeny and Pence thrift store, unfortunately.” Oh drat. “I’m told it was actually a marching band uniform. Stupid, I know, but I quite like it.” Andowyn ran a hand over the gold frogging with a bit of possessive pride. “It was only a fiver.”

“What an amazing deal,” Karna said wistfully, wishing he could get something like that. But looking for something like that was like trying to find a unicorn. Gazing over the food, Karna realized they’d done a very good job at demolishing the fondue. Arjuna was looking very content, finishing his last piece of bread and cheese. Andowyn had eaten perhaps half of his salad and some of the bread, which wasn’t too bad really. “Well, we should probably be going.”

“Mmm. Oh, please tell Rin that I might be open to an alliance with the purpose of destroying Berserker. But not until I’ve fully recovered.” Andowyn smiled, a touch sadly. “And not unless pretty ladies start disappearing around the town.” …Which was likely to happen. Karna winced at the thought.

“We might take you up on that. Thank you for the lunch!” Karna waved as they left and Saber waved back, cute as a button. Karna really wondered who Saber could be. Did he even have a real appearance? A shape shifting, future Heroic Spirit who liked to tea bag enemies. Amusing if it wasn’t so dangerous.

“He’s following us again,” Arjuna murmured, laughter hiding in his voice. Karna hissed a soft curse but then blinked as Arjuna rested a hand on his lower back. “I have a plan, Master. Let’s go home.” A plan?

_You aren’t going to tell me what it is?_ A smile and a headshake was the only reply. Karna schooled himself to patience.

When they reached the Emiya residence, Arjuna put his plan into effect.

“…?” Karna was caught by surprise when Arjuna slid his arms around her, turning her and gazing passionately into her face. The warmth in his eyes seemed so real and it made Karna’s breath come short. He gently touched her cheek, tilting her head and then kissed her passionately. “…!” Karna was not expecting that but found herself responding easily. The kiss was so tender yet intimate and Arjuna’s lips felt so good against hers. Karna melted into it, giving herself wholly to the pleasure of the moment.

Then they parted, to Karna’s disappointment. But Arjuna’s smile, full of heat yet also amusement, almost made up for it. Then he murmured in her ear.

“I will leave as if I am going home, then come back.” Oh right, Naoya. Karna had almost forgotten about the teenage stalker. Feeling like he had to be blushing, Karna watched Arjuna go, feeling a wistful longing. Was it wrong that he so wanted this to be real? Going inside the Emiya residence, Karna blinked as he realized something. For that moment when Arjuna had kissed him? Her? Karna had felt like a real woman.

It was a good feeling.


End file.
